Validic app enables remote medical device data capture via smartphone camera

Using the VitalSnap app--Screenshot courtesy of Validic

Digital health player Validic said it's launching the first tech to facilitate data transfer from an at-home medical device that's not connected. In lieu of an Internet connection, its solution is simple: use a smartphone camera to record the data from a medical device and then integrate the data into the patient's existing electronic health record. Despite the digital health hype, most medical devices remain offline and rely upon manual data entry by the patient or a provider.

Dubbed VitalSnap, the app will be compatible with 18 iOS and Android devices at launch. It's part of Validic's mobile product lineup that's focused on at-home care and on-the-go data sharing. The expectation is that healthcare providers and payers will provide VitalSnap to their patients, thereby making remote monitoring easier, more effective and eliminating manual data recording.

"Without technology like VitalSnap, there is still a digital divide between patients trying to share the data and providers trying to access data," said Brian Carter, senior director and general manager of population health at Cerner, in a statement.

He continued, "Considering patient outcomes are most affected by what he or she is doing on a day-to-day basis outside the physician's office or hospital, we as an industry need to start better integrating data from these activities and biometrics in the treatment process."

A large number of medical devices, such as thermometers and blood pressure cuffs, are expected to function with the VitalSnap app, which doesn't actually require a picture to be taken but does read data via the smartphone camera. The Durham, NC-based company debuted the app at the ongoing Consumer Electronics Show (CES) in Las Vegas.

The upside for patients is that the app facilitates data capture from existing medical devices without the devices themselves offering any connectivity function. So, that could mean data access without replacing the medical device itself or entering it manually.

"As a manufacturer of devices that produce both connected and nonconnected experiences, we are thrilled about the impact VitalSnap will have on the market," said COO of Omron Healthcare Ranndy Kellogg. "This truly unique and revolutionary technology allows our nonconnected devices to be easily and quickly integrated to and accessible by providers."

- here is the announcement