Direct-to-consumer, direct-to-phone. New York City-based home testing startup LetsGetChecked has launched its first mobile app for iOS. Through it, consumers will be able to order more testing kits from the company, integrate with services from wearables partners like Fitbit and Apple, and address the results of their tests one-on-one with a LetsGetChecked professional.
"We want healthcare to be more predictive and less reactive - this is the next step in our vision of delivering that,” CEO Peter Foley said in a statement. “LetsGetChecked believes that people should be able to access their health data and extra clinical services in the most convenient way possible. Our app will empower users with a singular view of their health data and deliver valuable personalized insights — helping them to be more proactive about their health. This is the kind of service they not only need, but expect in the digital world.
Battle of the bikes. Peloton recently settled a patent infringement claim it held against Flywheel regarding the former’s at-home exercising bike, named Fly Anywhere Bike, the Verge reported. As part of the agreement, Flywheel admitted that its bike copied elements of Peloton’s remote streaming patent. In the court documents, Flywheel agreed that it will “stop infringing Peloton’s patented technology” within 60 days. The Verge reports that Peloton’s stock price increased following the announcement.
Pink slips. Just a week after news spread that 23andMe is cutting 14% of its workforce, its competitor Ancestory.com announced its plans to cut 6% of its employees too, CNBC reports. Much like 23andMe the company cites a slowdown in sales as contributing to its decision to lay off employees in the California and Utah offices.
Looking beyond validation. A review article published this week in NPJ Digital Medicine by practitioners affiliated with Harvard Medical School and Brigham and Women’s Hospital outlines several of the challenges holding health apps back from wider clinical implementation.
Alongside providing background on the developing field, the authors give an overview on the current state of health app regulation, validation, workflow integration, reimbursement and awareness, while also describing how recent developments such as digital formularies are providing inroads with clinical practice.
“As work in digital health continues to expand, we expect more apps to become available, some of which will have evidence of efficacy and regulatory approval,” they wrote. “Development and validation are just the first steps. For apps to be used, they must be integrated into clinical practice. We have outlined some of the key areas that will need to be addressed: education and awareness, digital formularies, workflow integration, payment models, and patient/provider support. Integrating apps into routine clinical practice will be essential for digital health to achieve its full potential.”
