AT&T, Numera Offer New Personal Health Gateway

As the Baby Boomer population ages, access to medical care during a personal emergency continues to grow. A serious fall can leave a person in need of help but unable to reach a phone.

That’s why AT&T (News - Alert) and Numera are teaming up to create a new personal health gateway. Numera has developed the Libris system, which combines a Personal Emergency Response System (PERS) with a home health management system. AT&T will provide the mobile network underlying the system. The two companies will present the solution at the Mobile World Congress (News - Alert) in Barcelona, Spain from Feb. 25-28.

“Incorporating continuous monitoring of an individual’s activity, location and important health measurements, the Numera Libris system breaks new ground in bringing together personal safety and telehealth in a mobile device,” Chris Penrose, senior vice president of emerging devices at AT&T, said.

“With the addition of wireless connectivity, the Numera Libris creates an affordable solution that connects individuals with their caregivers in an efficient manner.”

Users can upload information from various medical devices to the system, allowing doctors to remotely monitor their patients’ health.

The Libris system is more flexible than traditional PERS systems like Life Alert, which are intended for elderly people who find themselves with limited mobility and unable to reach a phone during a serious medical emergency, such as a fall.

“Unlike traditional PERS, which target individuals in their 80s, Libris offers an adaptive, personal health gateway for the healthy aging population as well as those living with chronic conditions, ” said Tim Smokoff, CEO of Numera. “This goes beyond fall detection, enabling these consumers and their family members to better manage their healthcare needs and ultimately to stay healthier and independent longer. Now individuals can stay connected to their health professionals between office visits from wherever they are through mobile health and safety monitoring done both in and outside of the home.”