DALLAS, July 30, 2018 /PRNewswire/ -- Parks Associates research finds 46% of U.S. broadband households now own a connected health device, such as a digital pedometer, smart watch, or a digital weight scale. The research firm will host its fifth-annual Connected Health Summit: Engaging Consumers, August 28-30 at the Manchester Grand Hyatt in San Diego.

Scientists at the University of Birmingham, UK, are one step closer to developing an eye drop that could revolutionise treatment for age-related macular degeneration (AMD).

ENGLEWOOD, Colo., July 10, 2018 /PRNewswire/ -- Beacon Communications, a leader in full-service, crucial communications in healthcare for over 20 years, announced today a strategic distribution relationship with industry-leading wireless nurse call and advanced monitoring technology, RCare. As an approved RCare Trusted Integration expert, Beacon will add-on RCare's full suite of comprehensive nurse call and monitoring solutions to new and existing long-term care clients in Montana, Wyoming, and Nebraska.

Wayne, NJ, June 5, 2018 – Konica Minolta Healthcare Americas, Inc., a recognized leader in medical imaging systems and healthcare IT, announces the introduction of AeroRemote™ Insights, a cloud-based, business intelligence and analytics solution that delivers detailed information on asset utilization, department workflow and efficiency, system health and more. AeroRemote Insights provides daily performance data in intuitive visual formats that managers can utilize to optimize department performance and manage digital radiography assets. This new service also enables managers to act on urgent situations immediately and respond to usage trends intelligently.

Nihon Kohden has announced the commercial launch of its NK- HiQTM Wireless Patient Monitoring System, a smart, secure data acquisition and management platform that leverages Wi-Fi technology to provide safe continuous patient monitoring in the hospital setting. With a suite of fully featured central station, bedside, transport and wearable patient monitors, the system captures and manages patient data from admission to discharge, seamlessly throughout the enterprise. The company will showcase its NK-HiQ system at Nihon Kohden’s HIMSS18 booth (10925) in Las Vegas, March 5–8.

Spok, Inc., a wholly-owned subsidiary of Spok Holdings, Inc. (NASDAQ: SPOK) and the leader in healthcare communications, announced the strengthening of its long-term strategic partnership with Spectralink Corporation, the leader in enterprise mobility solutions. Spok Care Connect®, the company’s clinical communications platform, integrates with Spectralink’s medical-grade mobile devices, including the PIVOT™ clinical smartphone, to deliver critical information and updates from colleagues and alert systems—such as nurse call and patient monitoring—to mobile care teams quickly and securely. The result is enhanced clinical workflows, faster response times, dependable voice quality, and improved patient outcomes and experiences.

VoCare, Inc., an Indiana-based company, has developed the world's first professional grade medical diagnostic device which collects 6 different health vitals and is equipped with WiFi, Bluetooth, 4G LTE for data transmission, without the need for separate peripherals or an external hub. The Vitals360 device, comparable in size to an iPhone, is the first and only telehealth solution that can be used for both Point-of-Care and Remote Patient Monitoring. The VoCare platform leverages one connected device to empower management of multiple chronic conditions such as diabetes, congestive heart failure (CHF), chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), and hypertension. The Vitals360 device provides the following vital measurements: (1) Blood Glucose, (2) Blood Pressure, (3) Pulse, (4) Oximetry, (5) Temperature, and (6) Electrocardiography (ECG).

Taking steps to further enhance medical data protection, AG Mednet is now EU-U.S. Privacy Shield-Certified and U.S.-Swiss Privacy Framework compliant via self-certification. AG Mednet technology is used in clinical trials in more than 80 countries including most European Union nations. The company is committed to the highest levels of data protection available to its customers in the EU and around the globe.

Mobile, Ala.—February 20, 2018—SSI, a leading provider of solutions that increase the accuracy and velocity of data exchange among healthcare providers and payers, has appointed Jeff Miller as Chief Product Officer (CPO). A seasoned executive with a strong record of developing and growing new business in the healthcare and information technology space, Miller brings a breadth of strategic and managerial experience to SSI.

lifeIMAGE announced today the release of Clinical Connector, powered by lifeIMAGE, a high-performance, scalable, and secure health care application. It connects patients to their care delivery ecosystem while simultaneously simplifying administrative burdens for caregivers. Clinical Connector was built from the ground up using U.S. and international standards to enable a growing and broad set of interoperability needs across clinical and non-clinical applications, including medical imaging platforms that can now share data seamlessly between clinicians and patients. In the interest of patient continuity, lifeIMAGE is making the Clinical Connector available to all clearinghouse users of the Radiological Society of North America (RSNA) Image Share pilot program, which is coming to a successful completion on March 31, 2018.

Recovery Force - a medical device company focused on enhancing circulation and accelerating recovery from surgery or injury through the use of its patented active compressions™ technology platform, announced today a collaboration with Mayo Clinic

MedSec LLC, a leading provider of cybersecurity solutions to the medical device and healthcare industry, announced today the appointment of Stephanie Domas as Vice President of Research. Among her responsibilities will be the introduction of MedScan, a new tool which allows hospitals to assess the cybersecurity status of the medical devices on their networks.

CLEW Medical, formerly known as Intensix, is launching its AI predictive-analytics platform to prevent life threatening complications in all care settings, using real-time data and machine learning technology. Already proven in the ICU, CLEW’s platform provides medical staff and healthcare administrators with actionable clinical, operational and financial insights to streamline medical care.

NewYork-Presbyterian and Walgreens are collaborating to bring convenient access to NewYork-Presbyterian’s world-class care through new telemedicine services, now available through Walgreens digital properties and at self-service kiosks at select Duane Reade drugstores in New York.  NewYork-Presbyterian, New York’s No. 1 hospital, is offering the telemedicine services as part of its NYP OnDemand suite of digital health services.

Once considered a futuristic technology on the distant horizon, 3D printing of medical devices, medications and human tissue is quickly becoming a promising reality. Patients have already benefitted from 3D printed medical products through access to personalized devices and innovative drugs that have led to significant health improvements. But the FDA is now preparing for a significant wave of new technologies that are nearly certain to transform medical practice. We're working to provide a more comprehensive regulatory pathway that keeps pace with those advances, and helps facilitate efficient access to safe and effective innovations that are based on these technologies.

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration today approved the FoundationOne CDx (F1CDx), the first breakthrough-designated, next generation sequencing (NGS)-based in vitro diagnostic (IVD) test that can detect genetic mutations in 324 genes and two genomic signatures in any solid tumor type. The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) at the same time proposed coverage of the F1CDx. The test is the second IVD to be approved and covered after overlapping review by the FDA and CMS under the Parallel Review Program, which facilitates earlier access to innovative medical technologies for Medicare beneficiaries.

Accurate Neuromonitoring, a leading Intraoperative Neuromonitoring (IONM) provider offering functional guidance to surgeons through the use of electrophysiological methods that help reduce patient risk, has acquired Atlanta, Georgia-based NeuroLink Monitoring, expanding its coverage to seven East Coast States -- New York, New Jersey, North Carolina, South Carolina, Georgia, Alabama, and Florida.

While biologic medications have revolutionized the treatment of chronic diseases and conditions, reports show approximately 50 percent of medications for chronic disease are not taken as prescribed. It’s a situation that providers, payers and pharmaceutical companies are trying to change, and a breakthrough needle-free drug delivery system from Portal Instruments that uses technology out of MIT to allow patients to easily manage their chronic conditions at home could help.

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration today approved a remote feature for follow-up programming sessions for the Nucleus Cochlear Implant System through a telemedicine platform. The remote programming feature is indicated for patients who have had six months of experience with their cochlear implant sound processor and are comfortable with the programming process.  

The sense of touch is often taken for granted. For someone without a limb or hand, losing that sense of touch can be devastating. While highly sophisticated prostheses with complex moving fingers and joints are available to mimic almost every hand motion, they remain frustratingly difficult and unnatural for the user. This is largely because they lack the tactile experience that guides every movement. This void in sensation results in limited use or abandonment of these very expensive artificial devices. So why not make a prosthesis that can actually "feel" its environment?  

EpicMD, www.epic.md, a trusted leader in cloud-based telehealth and telemedicine technology platforms, today announced the appointment of Jack Karabees as EpicMD’s President and Vice President of Sales. Karabees has spent over 25 years successfully establishing and executing high-growth sales and marketing plans for enterprise healthcare, payer and hospital-related software technology companies. “We feel that Karabees brings an unusual blend of technology and healthcare leadership experience to the company,” said Matt Wanderer, company CEO. “His experience at this stage of company growth is also a fantastic fit,” he continued.