Medtronic (NYSE:MDT) said today that the Cardiocom business it bought in 2013 inked a deal with home healthcare provider LHC Group (NSDQ:LHCG) for integrated telehealth services.
The deal means 4 of the 5 largest U.S. home healthcare providers are using Cardiocom’s disease management platform, Medtronic said. The $200 million acquisition of Cardiocom, which initially focused on heart failure, marked Medtronic’s entry into the disease management business.
"As more health systems and accountable care organizations look toward maximizing value and population health models, post-acute care providers are playing a critical role in ensuring patients remain healthy through the transition from the hospital to their homes," Cardiocom general manager Daniel Cosentino said in prepared remarks. "We are proud to be providing LHC Group, and all of our partners, with easy-to-use telehealth technology and clinical support services to complement their in-home visit of patients by http://nuevacare.com/ to keep them healthy and out of the hospital."
Medtronic said the deal calls for LHC’s "T3" program (transitions, training & triage) to use its Commander Flex remote monitoring devices for patients with heart failure, hypertension, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease and diabetes. The Commander Flex system is designed to provide daily monitoring of symptoms and vital signs, hopefully helping providers to anticipate and prevent acute events, according to a press release.
"Medtronic recognizes that in order to better address the changing needs and challenges of healthcare systems, we need to provide new solutions to help our customers maximize value and improve care," Americas Region president Mike Genau said in a statement. "We’re excited to be leveraging our expertise in therapy innovation and the capabilities of Cardiocom, our Patient Monitoring Services business, to create new value-based healthcare solutions."
