Charlotte, N.C.-based Atrium Health and Best Buy Health are partnering to develop new hospital-at-home offerings, the latest move in remote patient monitoring for the tech retailer.

The partners said their deal would pair the health system's established telehealth and hospital-at-home programs with Best Buy's in-home services and supply chain. Best Buy's Geek Squad will assist with device set-up and technical support. 

According to CNBC, data from remote patient monitoring devices will be shared with providers using Best Buy subsidiary Current Health's hub. Best Buy aims to have 100 patients in the program each day. 

"We knew Atrium Health was the right partner to help tackle the unique challenges within the care at home experience," Deborah Di Sanzo, president of Best Buy Health, said in a statement. "We’re excited to leverage our expertise in omnichannel, supply chain, Caring Center support and services, in-home support and our ability to connect patients and providers through Current Health’s care at home platform.

"Those strengths, combined with Atrium Health’s extensive clinical expertise and deep experience leading in virtual care, will help us improve and enable care in the home for everyone."

THE LARGER TREND

Atrium launched its hospital-at-home program during the early days of the COVID-19 pandemic as a method of managing capacity during surges. The health system, which completed its merger with Advocate Aurora Health to create Advocate Health late last year, has since expanded into new conditions, like cardiac care, COPD, pneumonia, asthma, some infections and other medical and post-operative care.

Meanwhile, Best Buy has steadily been expanding its reach in remote patient monitoring technology. In 2018, the retail giant acquired GreatCall, which made health and safety products for seniors. It later purchased remote senior monitoring service Critical Signal Technologies, and then acquired home care and remote monitoring platform Current Health in 2021. 

During its fourth quarter earnings call, Best Buy CEO Corie Barry said Current Health had its "best commercial booking year ever last year," including relationships with health systems like Geisinger, Mount Sinai Health System and NYU Langone Health. She also mentioned the three-year development partnership with Advocate Health on the call. 

"We are excited about the momentum of Care at Home, but it is still a nascent emerging part of the healthcare industry," she said. "We are essentially nurturing a startup within a large-scale organization and leveraging Best Buy's core assets, including the Geek Squad, to incubate a new business. The revenue contribution is currently very small and will take time to ramp as the Care at Home space matures and expands over the coming years."