Smartphone-enabled ECG medical device maker AliveCor and Greatcall, which makes a line of mobile phones and health services marketed to seniors, have partnered to bring the AliveCor device to GreatCall phones.
“Heart disease is the leading cause of death in the US, claiming about 1 million lives each year,” David Inns, CEO of GreatCall, said in a statement. “With access to an easy-to-use, affordable mobile health tool, patients can instantly communicate data to physicians without an office or hospital visit. This can positively impact access to care, costs and, potentially, outcomes.”
The Android version of AliveCor's smartphone ECG, which attaches to the back of the phone and sends readings to an app, will be available as an optional accessory for GreatCall's Touch3 smartphone. The accessory is not yet listed on GreatCall's website as being for sale but the company plans to make it available at its usual $199 pricepoint for GreatCall customers. Users can hold the device to their chest or fingertips and then send the reading either to their own doctor or to a board-certified cardiologist who will return a reading within 30 minutes. Alivecor works with CompuMed for the analysis service.
“We are excited to work with GreatCall as it is clear to us that they really understand the needs of the active aging population who are at a higher risk for stroke and other serious heart conditions,” Euan Thomson, president and chief executive officer of AliveCor, said in a statement. “We have designed the AliveCor Heart Monitor as an easy-to-use, cost effective medical device that meets the needs of this customer and it is our hope that the use of our technology will continue to help save more lives.”
For AliveCor, the partnership has the potential to get their device in front of not just a large number of new users, but a group of consumers that stands to benefit the most from a mobile health heart sensor. The company recently received FDA clearance for its atrial fibrillation detection algorithm, which should increase the utility of the device.
For GreatCall, this is the first health-focused hardware add-on the company has yet offered, though health and wellness has long been a focus of GreatCall phones' built-in apps and services. Earlier this month the company announced that the Touch3 would not only be sold in Rite Aid pharmacies, but would come pre-loaded with Rite Aid's pharmacy app. In addition, GreatCall smartphones have long featured Urgent Care, MedCoach, and 5Star emergency response as optional service add-ons.
