Device makers have an unexpected ally for at-home health care

Best Buy’s Geek Squad increased set-up speed in a program for remote management of chronic conditions and improved patient adherence. [Photo courtesy of Best Buy]

Who would have thought that  Best Buy could help medical device developers improve patient adherence?

But that’s what the big box retailer said this week after sending specially trained Geek Squad employees to set up remote monitoring devices for patients in their homes for more than a year.

Richfield, Minnesota-based Best Buy and Danville, Pennsyvlvania-based health system Geisinger partnered on remote patient monitoring through Geisinger’s ConnectedCare365 chronic care management platform. They used Geek Squad employees to deliver the devices, activate them, and educate patients on how to use them — including troubleshooting if needed later. The Geek Squad employees were able to replace devices within 24 hours if there w…

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Best Buy spends $400M on Current Health and its digital health tech

Current Health’s platform includes an FDA-cleared wearable vital signs monitor, as well as a home hub. [Image courtesy of Current Health]Best Buy (NYSE: BBY) recently confirmed that it spent $400 million to acquire Current Health as it continues to offer more digital health products.

Current Health (Boston and Edinburgh, Scotland) is the creator of a remote patient monitoring platform that allows physicians to monitor and connect with patients in their homes. Its platform includes an FDA-cleared wearable vital signs monitor, as well as a home hub. The hub can integrate into hundreds of other monitoring devices as well as a person’s electronic health record.

“With their remote monitoring platform, combined with the scale, expertise, and connection to the home that Best Buy has, we will be able to create a holistic care ecosystem that shows up for customers across all their healthcare needs,” Best Buy CEO Corie Barry said during a November 23…

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