Apple Health Records now available to all US providers with compatible EHRs
Apple is championing consumer empowerment by providing convenient access to health information and products. The company has recently begun carrying One Drop’s glucose monitoring system in stores. It also announced period tracking, activity trends, and hearing protection as core features of its upcoming WatchOS 6. Now, Apple is broadening access to its Health Records feature by allowing health care organizations with compatible electronic health records (EHRs) to self-register. Patients at registered systems or clinics can download their health records to their phone after providing credentials on their existing patient portals.
Apple Health Records was previously only available to partner providers and organizations, by allowing provider self-registry, millions more will be able to enjoy the feature. Ease in availability of health information doesn’t just empower patients, but also doctors. When a doctor sees patients for whom they are not the primary care provider, Apple Health Records allows them to view their current medications and other information. Remarkably, Apple is not only empowering patients but also bridging siloed health information systems.
New York City-based Phreesia is the latest digital health startup set to go public
New York City-based healthcare software company, Phreesia, has joined the growing list of digital health firms planning to go public by filing for a $125M IPO. Phreesia developed a patient intake management platform that provider organizations can use to improve care-tasks like patient check-ins. With 15 years of success, a broad client base of 1,600 health firms, and a currently growing revenue, Phreesia could be poised for a successful IPO. The company has several compatriots gearing up to go public in 2019: Change Healthcare, Ancestry.com, Health Catalyst, and Livongo. This could be signaling a maturing digital health market after a three-year lull in IPO activity.
Aside from Livongo, which was founded in 2014, all the health tech companies currently going public have been around for over a decade. The average age of tech companies that went public was 12 years old in 2018. Many companies are hindered from going public due to an early stage market and a lack of evidence-based outcomes that prove they are worth an investment. This current cohort of IPOs will indicate the level of investor interest in the digital health space and shape future IPOs.