The news: AT&T is teaming up with remote patient monitoring (RPM) company Smart Meter to connect the latter’s RPM devices to AT&T’s Internet of Things (IoT) and 5G network.
How it will work: Five of Smart Meter’s devices will now contain an AT&T SIM card and run on AT&T’s network.
The five devices include: SmartRPM, which coordinates RPM data collection and sharing among providers; as well as its RPM devices, iGlucose, iBloodPressure, iScale, and iPulseOx that measure blood glucose levels, blood pressure, body weight, oxygen levels, respectively.
Since these devices will already come with an AT&T SIM card, they’ll be plug-and-plays—both providers and patients will be able to quickly and seamlessly access data collected by these devices without having to worry about connecting to WiFi or Bluetooth pairing.
Why it matters: AT&T can capture a larger share of the RPM market as chronic condition rates explode and RPM users are on the rise.
AT&T’s IoT network spans all 50 states and it has already dipped its toes in the digital health space.
- For example, in December 2021, it partnered with Samsung and digital health firm Qure4u to provide RPM for patients with high blood pressure.
- AT&T connected Qure4u’s devices to its high-speed broadband network and handled the set-up, delivery, and management of the RPM devices
Moreover, the RPM market is ballooning, which means the timing is opportune for AT&T to dig deeper into healthcare:
- We expect RPM users to grow from 39.3 million in 2021 to 70.6 million in 2025, per our most recent forecast.