HealthPatch MD Wearable Encrypts Your Data, Gets FDA Approval

Vital Connect's newest wearable, the HealthPatch MD, is a health-centric device different than most medical wearables we've seen. Unlike wristbands and such, the HealthPatch MD is targeted more towards doctors and newly-released patients, and as such it takes its job seriously: the device, among other things, encrypts the wearer's health data to HIPPA standards.

The company recently announced on its website that it has been given the thumbs-up from the FDA for its HealthPatch MD, a so-called biosensor that doctors can issue to patients who need their vitals monitored while at home (such as patients who recently underwent surgery).

Much in the same way conventional health wearables can provide wearers with real-time data and alerts for things like a fever, the HealthPatch MD provides the same information to a doctor or caregiver, monitoring a wide array of body metrics.

Skin temperature, heart rate (and HR variability), breathing rate, the number of steps taken, and even things like body position are detected using the svelte wearable, which has Bluetooth 4.0 for connecting to a smartphone. As mentioned, data is encrypted to make sure it meets HIPPA standards. There's no launch date for the wearable yet, but getting FDA approval is a big step towards making that happen.

SOURCE: Venture Beat