Patient-Generated Health Data

4TH YEAR ON THE LIST

APIs integrate data from wearables and medical-grade consumer devices into electronic health records.

KEY INSIGHT

With the proliferation of wearables and sensor technology comes a flood of patient data that can help health care providers assess a person’s overall health. But capturing that data in electronic health record (EHR) systems and making use of it in a clinical setting has challenged an industry that lags in digital transformation.

EXAMPLES

Hundreds of devices collect and monitor patient health data, but health care systems have struggled to integrate that data into EHR systems. The result: a new market for businesses focused on interoperability. The Fast Healthcare Interoperability Resources (FHIR) standards for APIs connect data from smart devices and platforms, including Apple HealthKit to EHRs. Withings, a maker of smart scales and connected devices, and Redox, a health IT company, are working to make Withings’ Med Pro Care–connected health devices compatible with major EHR systems. In South Korea, a major digitization project involves creating a single app for patients to access their entire health record. By 2023, that same effort will integrate data from wearables and medical devices.

DISRUPTIVE IMPACT

As consumer devices inch closer to medical-grade and more connected devices are used to manage chronic disease, integration of that data into EHR systems will become a bigger focus. The ability to integrate patient-generated data into EHR systems and clinical workflows will be critical for the success of remote monitoring and telemedicine services.

EMERGING PLAYERS

• Apple Health • Epic • Cerner • Validic • Salesforce • Google Health • Meditech • Allscripts • eClinicalWorks