Comcast Eyes Remote Patient Monitoring

BIRMINGHAM, Ala. (May 23, 2019)—Comcast is rumored to be getting into remote patient monitoring, according to a report published on CNBC. Comcast owns NBCUniversal, the parent company of CNBC.

A team working under the direction of Senior Vice President and General Manager of Health Innovation Sumit Nagpal has been working on the device for more than a year, according to sources. The device will monitor people’s basic health metrics using ambient sensors. Comcast is also working on tools to detect falls, according to sources.

“Home health has been one of the fastest growing segments because the aging population prefers to be at home as much as possible, so for Comcast to recognize that this is a key need only validates this growth,” said Matt Fairhurst of the in-home workforce management tool Skedulo. “The industry needs solutions that help seniors be more independent and help deliver timely homecare when it’s needed the most.”

Sources report that while the device will be a smart speaker, it will not be able to tap into home systems or search the internet. But it will be able to make emergency phone calls in the case of a health event.

The company faces stiff competition from other tech giants, Google, Apple and Amazon, which have all expressed interest in, or are already playing in the health arena. Apple’s latest Watch can detect falls and has an FDA approved ECG monitor.