Trendlines
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` The Buddy System
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`VOL-12 ' N0-19 ‘ JULY 15: 1999
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`one ofthe fortunate folk, health
`care is mostly a matter of an
`occasional visit to a doc-
`tor’s office, perhaps a
`prescription, lots of
`fluids and a day off
`from work. But for a
`diabetic or an asthmatic,
`that’s not enough. These
`individuals need to monitor
`their conditions more or less
`constantly—and the health-
`care system isn’t set up to help
`them do that.
`'
`“Health care is based on treating
`people, not managing their health,” says
`John Glaser, vice president and .CIO of
`.
`Partners HealthCare System Inc. in
`Boston. (For more on health care, see “Information Sickness,” Page 52.)
`Studies show that it costs less to help an asthmatic manage her illness
`than to wait until there’s a crisis, but few convenient methods have emerged
`to create a strong daily link between'doctors and their chronically ill patients
`that don’t involve somebody traveling somewhere—until the Internet.
`Health Hero Network Inc. (www.healthlaero.com), a Mountain View,
`Calif.-based company, has developed an automated online service that relies
`on a simple device called the Health Buddy, which patients of participating
`doctors use to update their conditions and receive information, messages
`and reminders. The device, about the size of a palmtop, has a back-lit screen
`that can flash a set of multiple—choice questions developed by a doctor to
`‘
`track an illness. The patient hits one of four buttons on the
`keypad to answer the questions, such as, “How are you feel-
`ing this morning?” The Health Buddy, which hooks into the
`patient’s phone line, dials Health
`.
`Hero’s data center, where the
`updates are stored in a patient
`database. The doctor can
`then access the data through
`the Internet, where she logs
`on to a secure area on
`Health Hero’s Web site to
`view the updates.
`Health Hero is currently filing
`for permission from the FDA to
`connect Health Buddy to blood
`glucose meters and eventually to blood pressure cuffs and
`other diagnostic equipment in patients’ homes and down-
`load that biometric information automatically, saving the
`patient a lot of hassle and doctors a lot of time. The com-
`pany plans someday to use the Health Buddy for other
`services, such as postoperative monitoring.
`There’s no word yet whether Health Hero will supply
`that stiff white rice paper for the patients to sit on while they
`hook themselves up to the equipment. I
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`The Health Buddy patient
`monitoring system
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`PHOTOARJVEBYPHOTODISCI”?
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`1
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`Bosch Ex. 2033
`Bosch EX. 2033
`Cardiocom v. Bosch IPR2013-00468
`Cardiocom V. Bosch IPR2013—00468
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