Google’s hospital play, Optum’s data shakeup, & the call for more telehealth oversight
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Google’s wearables plan takes shape
If you’ve been wondering how the tech titan planned to blend Fitbit with its analytics business, Mario’s got you covered. Google Cloud and Fitbit are unrolling a new service they think could help hospitals gather and crunch data from wearables and fitness trackers, potentially laying the groundwork for remote patient monitoring, research, and other health programs. “Device Connect for Fitbit” is one of the first public initiatives to emerge since Google acquired Fitbit for $2.1 billion in 2021, and includes tools to help health systems and researchers manage enrollment and consent and quickly add their data to the cloud to more easily access analytics and visualization tools. Fitbit Health Solutions General Manager Amy McDonough said the service aims to meet demand from existing health care customers. Read the full story.
