New mobile health care technologies are revolutionizing at-home patient care, enabling proactive and predictive treatments between regular doctor visits. Through the growing adoption of telehealth and remote patient monitoring (RPM), health care providers are equipping patients with Bluetooth-enabled devices like wearables, blood pressure or glucose monitors, and pulse oximeters. These tools allow patients to track their vitals at home, giving clinicians the ability to remotely monitor health trends and intervene as needed when changes occur.
Medical device manufacturers have developed implantable technologies, such as pacemakers, for continuous patient monitoring. Neuromodulation devices, implanted in a patient’s brain or spine, are also being used to treat conditions like chronic pain, depression, and Parkinson’s disease by stimulating nerves. Real-time remote monitoring allows doctors to keep a close eye on patients using these devices and make adjustments when needed, thereby improving the level of care the patients receive.
Mobile devices play a crucial role in health care, providing a widely available platform for software-as-a-service (SaaS) applications and enabling at-home care. RPM and implantable devices often pair with mobile devices, which store patient data in the cloud and send it to electronic medical records repositories. When abnormalities arise, the system alerts clinicians, allowing for timely intervention.
Smartphone manufacturers are now starting to integrate remote patient monitoring technology into their devices. The Samsung Galaxy A15 5G Healthcare Edition, for example, delivers a smartphone and software package designed to help health care providers and medical device manufacturers configure, deploy, and secure devices at scale. Tailored for patients using remote monitoring and digital health technologies, this solution simplifies care management and boosts patient engagement, making health care more efficient and accessible.
Telehealth grew in leaps and bounds during the COVID-19 pandemic. It has continued this momentum and is expected to grow from 20.1 million US patients in 2021 to an estimated 70.6 million, or more than a quarter of the US population, by 2025.
Samsung Launches Health Care-Focused Smartphone
Recognizing the benefits of RPM to patient health outcomes and the growing need for a device that can service this market, Samsung recently launched the Galaxy A15 Healthcare Edition, which bundles Samsung’s budget Galaxy A15 5G-enabled smartphone with its advanced Knox mobile security solution.
While the Galaxy A15 is an entry-level smartphone, it features a large, bright, 6.5-inch screen and has more storage and improved battery performance than to its predecessor, making it well suited for delivering RPM services to patients via a cellular network.
For the first time, Samsung is offering a bundled hardware and software solution to simplify processes and reduce costs for health care providers and device manufacturers when configuring, managing, and securing large volumes of devices. In addition, in response to the unique needs of the health care industry, Samsung has extended the lifecycle of the Galaxy A15 from the usual one year to three years. This change allows health care organizations to standardize the Galaxy A15 Healthcare Edition to create a stable, long-term platform, ensuring consistent hardware and software support over an extended period.
The Galaxy A15 Healthcare Edition comes pre-installed with Android 14 and maintains this OS throughout the device’s lifecycle. It also offers flexibility, allowing customers to upgrade their OS when their apps are certified and ready, using Samsung’s Knox E-FOTA device management solution. Samsung provides five years of software support and a renewable two-year subscription to two key Knox solutions:
- Knox Configure Dynamic: Enables IT administrators to remotely configure, secure, and lock down devices in bulk.
- Knox E-FOTA: Allows scheduling of updates, ensuring all devices run the correct Android OS version with the latest firmware.
Enhancing the Patient Experience with Smartphones
Abhay Ganesh, a B2B category manager at Samsung, explains that when health care customers purchase the new device, they’re getting more than just hardware—they also receive a robust security solution and the ability to deploy and lock down applications in kiosk mode. Ganesh emphasizes that maintaining the base software helps health systems and companies stay compliant with national regulations. The Samsung Galaxy A15 Healthcare Edition has already secured voice and data certifications from the FCC in the US, ISED in Canada, and regulatory bodies in the European Union and the UK for data compliance.
Samsung also provides a free guide to RPM to help organizations implement successful programs. The in-depth guide covers key features of RPM, including:
- How RPM works and what devices are needed for successful implementation.
- How hospitals can build a successful RPM program that provides enhanced patient experience and improved health outcomes, while saving both patients and health care providers money.
- Best practices for implementing an RPM program.
In summary, health care organizations are rapidly embracing remote monitoring and digital at-home care to enhance patient outcomes while streamlining workflows and boosting efficiency. It’s refreshing to see that device manufacturers are keeping up with this trend and starting to fill gaps that exist in the market. The Samsung Galaxy A15 Healthcare Edition, with its all-in-one hardware and software package, empowers health care providers and device manufacturers to scale up the provision of digital health care services effectively. Security is built directly into the hardware at the kernel level, providing robust protection that extends beyond standard security overlays. This solution is also cost-efficient, simplifying software compliance and cutting costs related to device management, implementation, maintenance, and regulatory requirements.