PALO ALTO & SAN DIEGO, Calif.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Robert Bosch Healthcare Systems, Inc., the market leader in evidence-based telehealth solutions, and a subsidiary of the Bosch Group, and GreatCall, Inc., a leader in wireless services that help people stay connected, safe and healthy, today announced the commercial availability of Health Buddy Mobile, the first mobile telehealth product to emerge from the strategic partnership announced in February 2013. Health Buddy Mobile combines Bosch Healthcare’s health management content and functionality, proven to drive better patient outcomes and reduce healthcare costs, with GreatCall’s Jitterbug Plus cell phone, rated highly for its ease-of-use and ability to engage consumers.
Micha Kirchhoff, president of Robert Bosch Healthcare Systems, said of the new offering: “Individuals with chronic conditions come from a variety of life stages and life styles, and our portfolio of telehealth solutions needs to reflect this. Health Buddy Mobile is designed to help those patients for whom our home-based Health Buddy device and our browser-based Health Buddy Web patient interfaces are not optimal. We want to reach more individuals and help them improve their quality of life. In doing so we can impact the disproportionate healthcare utilization and costs associated with chronic illnesses.”
According to the 2013 Internet and American Life Project conducted by PEW Research, 45 percent of U.S. adults are living with one or more chronic conditions. Of these adults, a large proportion is actually less likely to have internet access or a mobile phone than their healthier counterparts. They also tend to contact their healthcare providers more frequently. By providing a solution that includes a mobile platform, patients using Health Buddy Mobile have everything they need to easily connect with their providers and engage in a health management program tailored to their needs.
The first release of Health Buddy Mobile is aimed to support patients with heart failure (alone and with comorbid depression), chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), diabetes (alone and with hypertension and coronary artery disease). These conditions can be difficult to manage and are related to high hospital re-admissions rates and healthcare costs.
The Health Buddy System provides daily interactive sessions configured for the individual patient’s chronic condition(s) and health-risk profile. Each session includes: vital sign data collection; knowledge-building educational content; brief questions about medication compliance, overall physical and mental health, activities of daily living; and feedback and coaching for the patient. Using a secure portal, the patient’s care manager can access risk-stratified session results, enabling appropriate and timely action to support patients. The clinical effectiveness of the Health Buddy System has been clearly demonstrated in more than 60 publications across a wide variety of conditions and delivery systems, including the Veteran’s Administration and the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services.
Ninety percent of seniors are active outside the home, and most of them want solutions that are as mobile as they are. While most solutions development is for smartphones and web-enabled tablets, according to the PEW Research Center, only 18 percent of seniors own smartphones or tablets, and this percent is even lower among the nearly 80 percent of seniors with a chronic illness. Recognizing the large number of seniors that don’t use smartphones, GreatCall develops solutions for its feature phones as well as for smartphones. And, according to its subscriber usage data, GreatCall’s Jitterbug owners actively use their phones while more than 60 percent of new users adopt one or more of its mHealth services.
David Inns, president and CEO of GreatCall stated: “Older Americans and the underserved have the greatest need for help with the day to day management of their health issues, yet most remote patient monitoring solutions are impractical due to their immobility, user interface, platform requirements and cost. By going wireless and using the Jitterbug, Health Buddy Mobile is an effective out-of-box solution for these individuals.”
Health Buddy Mobile will be unveiled at the 2014 International CES in Las Vegas, on Jan. 6, 2014.
For more information on Bosch’s involvement at CES, visit https://drive.google.com/folderview?id=0BxnwHEaVUNpEZG16MkctdkdQMnM&usp=sharing.
About Robert Bosch Healthcare:
Robert Bosch Healthcare Systems, Inc., is a leading provider of innovative telehealth systems. Bosch’s product spectrum ranges from patient interfaces to comprehensive health management and patient evaluation software allowing healthcare professionals to efficiently evaluate the patient’s health status. Bosch Healthcare strives to help improve diagnosis and treatment through systematic patient monitoring and involvement. The result is that health professionals are able to provide a higher quality of care for patients with chronic conditions, patients lead happier and healthier lives, and the cost of healthcare is reduced for payers. Robert Bosch Healthcare Systems, Inc. is a fully owned subsidiary of the Bosch Group. For more information, go to www.bosch-telehealth.com.
About Bosch:
In the U.S., Canada and Mexico, the Bosch Group manufactures and markets automotive original equipment and aftermarket solutions, industrial drives and control technology, power tools, security and communication systems, packaging technology, thermotechnology, household appliances, solar energy, healthcare telemedicine and software solutions. Having established a regional presence in 1906, Bosch employs nearly 24,600 associates in more than 100 locations, with consolidated sales of $10.6 billion in fiscal year 2012. For more information, visit www.boschusa.com, www.bosch.com.mx and www.bosch.ca.
The Bosch Group is a leading global supplier of technology and services. In fiscal 2012, its roughly 306,000 associates generated sales of $67.5 billion. Since the beginning of 2013, its operations have been divided into four business sectors: Automotive Technology, Industrial Technology, Consumer Goods, and Energy and Building Technology. The Bosch Group comprises Robert Bosch GmbH and its roughly 360 subsidiaries and regional companies in some 50 countries. If its sales and service partners are included, then Bosch is represented in roughly 150 countries. This worldwide development, manufacturing, and sales network is the foundation for further growth. Bosch spent some $6.1 billion for research and development in 2012, and applied for nearly 4,800 patents worldwide. The Bosch Group’s products and services are designed to fascinate, and to improve the quality of life by providing solutions which are both innovative and beneficial. In this way, the company offers technology worldwide that is “Invented for life.” Additional information is available online at www.bosch.com and www.bosch-press.com.
About GreatCall Inc.
GreatCall is the leader in providing solutions that enable independence for aging consumers and their family caregivers. The creator of Jitterbug, 5Star and a suite of health, safety and medical apps, including Urgent Care, GreatCall Link, MedCoach and 5Star, GreatCall utilizes an award-winning personalized approach to ensure aging consumers feel more connected, in control and safe.
GreatCall’s products and services are sold nationwide at leading retailers as well as direct to consumers at 1-800-918-8543 and online at GreatCall.com. Service covers the U.S. Great Call is headquartered in San Diego, CA. To learn more about GreatCall products and services, please visit: www.GreatCall.com. This news release and other announcements are available at www.greatcall.com/buzz or follow our news on Twitter @GreatCallinc and on Facebook: Facebook.com/greatcall. For access to company logos, hi-resolution images and screen shots, please visit: www.greatcall.com/assets.