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Top Stories You Missed: HHS' Rural Action Plan could fall short | J&J's Janssen launches digital health accelerator | Withings' first-of-its-kind smartwatch earns EU clearance

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The HHS unveils its Rural Action Plan

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Janssen launches accelerator for health tech startups

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Withings earns EU clearance for its newest smartwatch

HHS UNVEILS RURAL ACTION PLAN, BUT IT CONTAINS SHORTCOMINGS
The US Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) revealed its Rural Action Plan to combat the lack of availability and access to healthcare in rural US areas, according to Healthcare IT News. The plan focuses on four strategies to enhance rural healthcare—including facilitating the use of telehealth and other tech innovations. The HHS' new plan could drive telemedicine adoption in rural areas—which has been difficult in part due to poor broadband access and a shrinking volume of care facilities—but it may not go far enough. The plan could knock down reimbursement barriers making providers wary about using telehealth beyond the pandemic. However, we think the plan falls short when it comes to funding. While the HHS gets moving on its Rural Action Plan, we think telemedicine startups with hospital-facing solutions should move in to address the untapped market. As the government continues to peel back barriers to telehealth, we think more telemedicine startups will roll out programs that facilitate telehealth initiatives that connect small hospitals with larger health systems.
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Amazon Halo App and Accompanying Halo Brand
JANSSEN LAUNCHES ACCELERATOR FOR HEALTH TECH STARTUPS
Johnson & Johnson's pharma subsidiary Janssen launched a nine-month accelerator program that caters to Europe-, Middle East-, and Africa-based health tech startups with solutions in predictive diagnostics, precision medicine, and digital health. The program was spearheaded in partnership with French incubator iPEPS and EU innovation network EIT Health—both of whom will provide mentorship and support services to the startups. This move underscores pharma cos' interest in utilizing digital health to innovate and improve existing systems, particularly the lengthy and costly clinical trial process. Spearheading an accelerator program will not only imprint Janssen's name in digital health innovation further, but will also give access to a lineup of innovative solutions that the pharma giant can then steer the development of and potentially incorporate as it sees fit.
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WITHINGS EARNS EU CLEARANCE FOR ITS NEWEST SMARTWATCH
Withings announced the release of its ScanWatch upon receiving CE marking—the EU's health and safety regulatory clearance. The hybrid smartwatch is the only one on the market that's equipped with both a medical-grade EKG sensor and oximeter, which are used to detect atrial fibrillation(AFib) and breathing abnormalities during sleep. FDA clearance is currently pending, but the smartwatch is projected to hit US markets by the end of this year. We think this gives Withings a competitive edge as it joins the ranks of companies racing to grab their share of the growing wearables market. Withings' ScanWatch has advanced health-tracking capabilities that can facilitate early diagnosis of cardiovascular, respiratory, or sleep problems—all of which affect millions of US patients. This launch is timely, considering last month Amazon released its Amazon Halo wearable and Fitbit unveiled its newest Sense smartwatch. The medical-grade status of the ScanWatch's sensors may be a strong value point for consumers and may also make it a more attractive potential partner to researchers conducting cardiovascular, respiratory, or sleep studies.
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