So far in 2016, eHealth is only four deals away from surpassing 2015’s total of 126, and nearly $20 billion has been spent (out of 20 disclosed prices). Nine deals have been announced in September, most of which exemplify how eHealth touches many areas of healthcare, beyond the expected revenue cycle management (RCM), electronic health records (EHR) etc.
On September 15, 2016, privately-held RightEye LLC, a provider of eye-tracking technology that captures and scores eye movements and helps to predict, evaluate and improve outcomes of its users, purchased rights to two eye movement tests from the University of California, San Diego, and Virginia Commonwealth University. The GeoPref Autism Test uses eye-tracking technology to compare the amount of time children spend looking at videos of people with the amount of time they spend looking at videos of geometric shapes, which may be an indicator of an autism. The Parkinson’s & Other Movement Disorders Test diagnoses Parkinson’s and other rare movement disorders, including Huntington’s disease and Essential Tremor by accurately identifying and assessing patterns of eye movement that are affected in patients with movement disorders; a much quicker and less expensive method relative to standard diagnostic procedures that include PET, DAT and MRI scans.
On September 26, 2016, privately-held Salus TeleHealth, a provider of comprehensive telehealth platforms and the equipment resources needed to successfully implement an e-clinical model of care in any healthcare setting, announced its merger with privately-held VideoMedicine Inc. VideoMedicine operates a mobile, free-market doctor network that enables patients to video-chat with their choice of qualified and licensed doctors. It partners with payers and employers.
The next day, privately-held PeriGen Inc. acquired the WatchChild® fetal monitoring system from Hill-Rom Holding Inc. (NYSE: HRC) for an undisclosed price. The system uses artificial intelligence to measure data from fetal monitoring strips. If any abnormalities occur, it alerts medical professionals in the perinatal unit or remotely on a mobile device. With the proper integration, data can populate the mother’s electronic health record. The combination creates the most comprehensive perinatal safety platform available, and marks a new era in obstetric solutions.
The breadth of eHealth deals suggests that this sector will not lose its momentum anytime soon, especially as investors and entrepreneurs continue to see opportunities to introduce technology across all healthcare sectors.
