Samsung launched its latest devices--Galaxy Z Fold7, Z Flip7 and Watch8 Series--but the more interesting development may be the company's big bet on digital healthcare via the acquisition of Xealth.
The company fleshed out its digital health plans during its Unpacked event. Not surprisingly, Samsung outlined its sensor technology and updates for Galaxy Watch8 that revolved around health.
Samsung outlined sleep experience features, a health coach, a feature called Vascular Load that monitors stress levels on your vascular system, and an Antioxidant Index, which measures carotenoid levels in five seconds. The upshot is Samsung is looking to create an ecosystem for Galaxy Watch8, Galaxy Ring and its devices.
In Samsung's health strategy, the devices are collecting data, but without an ecosystem and integration the data doesn't count for much. That's where the acquisition of Xealth comes in. Xealth is a platform that combines healthcare workflows, patient experiences and an API that connects systems.
Xealth's platform includes the following interconnected modules:
- Digital care management within the electronic health record.
- Xealth digital command center, which has customized reporting and analytics of patient and provider engagement, activation and usage.
- Xealth integration suite, which integrates multiple health systems with a clinical rules engine.
According to Samsung, the Xealth acquisition "will help advance Samsung’s transformation into a connected care platform." The general idea is to combine wellness, medical care and prevention to people via data. Samsung said it is looking to unify health information and connect with clinical records and physicians via Xealth, which is a spin-off of Providence health system.
TM Roh, President and Acting Head of the Device eXperience (DX) Division at Samsung Electronics, said Xealth and its expertise will "be an anchor to accelerate Samsung’s efforts to support health systems and digital health partners through a truly connected care."
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Mike McSherry, CEO of Xealth, said at Samsung Unpacked that the combination of his company and the consumer electronics giant can simplify home health care. Xealth has more than 500 hospitals and 70 digital health vendors in its ecosystem.
"Together with Xealth, Samsung will be able to bring to reality a shared vision of connected care by simplifying it in two ways," said McSherry. "First, Samsung will bring the context of wellness data to help physicians make better decisions and monitor how patients are doing within their care workflows. And second, Samsung will make care more actionable and convenient like reminding you to take medications or remotely monitoring health conditions. We will meet people where they are and help them by making it easier to do the right thing."
The acquisition will put Samsung into an ecosystem that includes Xealth's investors including Advocate Health, Banner Health, Cleveland Clinic, MemorialCare Innovation Fund, Cerner, McKesson Ventures, Novartis, Philips, and ResMed as well as Providence Ventures and the Froedtert and Medical College of Wisconsin Health Network.