The industry of mobile healthcare tools, devices and services is on the cusp of huge growth given the increasing infusion of venture capital investments in start-ups breaking into the mHealth market.
A Pennsylvania entrepreneur has raised $2.85 million in angel funs for a mobile telehealth dermatology service and a Boston company building a Web-based health platform now has $2.5 million to move forward.
The news comes as big players, including Google with its Google Glass, and entrepreneurs see a bountiful industry ahead given the need to keep healthcare costs down while offering consumers cost-effective tools and services for self-management of healthcare.
It all started with mobile fitness trackers and now some of the newest healthcare gadgets are using smartphones as blood testing and diabetes monitors. It's all not aimed at the adult either as a leading educational toy maker is getting ready to debut a smart fitness band for the kindergarten set.
Iagnosis, started by Dr. Mark Seraly, is getting ready to deploy "DermatologistOnCall" nationwide. The service puts consumers directly in touch with local board-certified dermatologists who help with diagnosis and treatment of basic skin issues. The Pittsburgh-based start-up uses a web platform where users create a health record and can even upload photos for doctors to review. Once a user requests a consult the service provides a treatment plan within 72 hours. According to reports the telehealth service consult costs $69.
Currently the service is certified to treat patients in Pennsylvania, West Virginia, District of Columbia, Ohio, Florida, North Carolina and Georgia.
InsideTracker, created by Boston-based start-up Segterra, is all about personal health monitoring.
The system provides users with personal advice when it comes to nutrition and lifestyle based on a blood sample, which is analyzed for everything from vitamins to cholesterol. According to reports the platform uses databases and research data to provide the recommendations.
The founders say it provides greater health insight than current fitness tracking devices now on the market.
