Medtronic and Samsung Electronics America are to begin a broad-based strategic alliance aiming to speed up the development of digital health solutions for those who could benefit from neuromodulation therapy. According to Medtronic, convenient access to mobile technology will help these people—and their healthcare providers—to better manage their health.
This partnership was announced at the North American Neuromodulation Society (NANS) Scientific Session in Las Vegas, USA. It is intended to leverage Samsung’s understanding of consumer technology to develop advanced tools aimed at improving how patients and physicians interact with Medtronic’s neuromodulation systems. Medtronic is seeking to deliver real-time health data to patients and physicians, from its devices.
“Through this alliance we intend to create efficiencies by developing digital solutions that connect patients and healthcare providers in real time,” says Tom Tefft, senior vice president and president of Neuromodulation, which is part of the Restorative Therapies Group at Medtronic. “Medtronic has a track record of developing meaningful patient innovations, and this collaboration is the first step to providing more personalised patient care and arming patients and physicians with the best consumer-relevant technologies.”
In the future, this alliance between Medtronic and Samsung is intended to focus on enabling patients implanted with neuromodulation therapies to use consumer electronics, such as smartphones, wearables or tablets, to securely and wirelessly transmit real-time data from their device to their physicians. Connecting patients and physicians in this manner could provide many potential benefits, including allowing physicians to more quickly make informed, data-driven treatment decisions.
Dave Rhew, chief medical officer and head of healthcare and fitness for Samsung Electronics America, says, “These future solutions will help better manage the health of patients by providing them with advanced, easy-to-use tools that securely deliver real-time data to their physicians.”
