Digital Health | Connected Medicine
Samsung buys Xealth: Wearable Data into Clinical Care
With the acquisition of the clinic platform Xealth, Samsung is setting an example in the booming market for digital health. The technology group wants to redefine patient care by interlinking wearable and clinical data - and position itself against Apple, Google & Co. and health platforms.
Smartwatches measure heart rate, sleep patterns and monitor all physical activities - from climbing stairs to maximum heart rate. So far, this data is still not really recognized by many doctors, and most watches are not yet certified as medical devices despite their now more elaborate, medical-related functions and increasing precision. However, the gap between the huge potential of wearable data and its current use in healthcare is enormous. And it was really only a matter of time before a tech giant took the first step to close it. That is now Samsung.
The Korean tech giant announced the takeover of the American health tech company Xealth last week. With this step, the South Korean electronics giant intends to significantly expand its activities in the field of digital health and create a networked platform that intelligently combines everyday health data and clinical information - for personalized and preventive patient care.
500 US Clinics Already Use the Digital Platform
Xealth, founded in Seattle in 2017, is developing a platform that enables doctors and clinics to prescribe digital tools and therapy programs directly to patients and monitor their use.
More than 500 hospitals in the US, including Advocate Health and Banner Health, already use the platform, which serves as an orchestration layer for more than 70 digital health solutions. By taking over the interface between medical applications, patients and hospital systems, the partners will gain access to Samsung's technology ecosystem in the future.
| »We believe the acquisition of Xealth, with its collective expertise and extensive healthcare network, .[..] will accelerate Samsung's efforts to support health systems and digital health partners through truly connected care.« |
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| TM Roh, President of Samsung Electronics |
Samsung is pursuing a clear strategy with the acquisition: the Group has been investing in sensor technologies for wearables for years. The focus is therefore on combining data from wearables such as the Galaxy Watch or the Galaxy Ring with clinical information. In the future, everyday data such as heart rate or activity levels should be able to flow directly into medical decisions - and thus enable seamless, personalized care.
Integrating Wearable Data into the Care Chain
Industry experts see this step as a milestone: Samsung is positioning itself as a serious competitor to Apple, Amazon and Google, which are also active in the digital health market. The integration of consumer data from wearables and clinical patient data could open up new opportunities for personalized and preventive medicine.
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»Xealth and Samsung share a common goal: to advance the digital health sector for truly connected care. User health data from wearables can provide the context that hospitals have been missing and open up new possibilities for data analysis that were not available with clinical records alone. Together with Samsung and our network of healthcare providers, we will build a bridge between home health monitoring and clinical decision making - with a particular focus on physician workflows and patient engagement.« |
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| Mike McSherry, CEO Xealth |
The acquisition is still subject to regulatory approvals and is expected to be completed in the course of the year. The companies did not disclose the purchase price. One thing is clear: with Xealth in its portfolio, Samsung wants to close the gap between private health monitoring and professional patient care - and establish itself as a leading provider in the field of connected health. (uh)
