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With a multi-year agreement to integrate American Well’s virtual care capabilities into Philips’ consumer and professional digital health solutions, parents can get 24/7 access to professional medical consultations. Through this new Telehealth partnership on the Philips Avent uGrow parenting platform, Philips and American Well want to offer “instant peace of mind” for parents.

Philips is a global leader in health technology, and American Well the leading U.S. telehealth provider that connects millions of consumers with care professionals through video consults. The partnership will not only be visible in the US, but on a global level.

Through this technology partnership, the two companies will work together to ultimately embed American Well’s mobile telehealth services into an array of Philips solutions for both healthy consumers and patients with a medical need, spanning personal health & wellness, population health management, and clinical programs. A first example is Philips uGrow parenting app that soon will embed telehealth services provided by American Well. The new partnership aims to provide a seamless consumer experience through solutions that empower people to better manage their health.

Since 2006, American Well has provided consumers with 24-hour access to licensed healthcare professionals. People can use the service even when their primary care physician is not available, for the convenience of remote access and short wait times.

“Partnering with American Well to deliver highly personalized virtual care solutions to consumers and healthcare professionals fits Philips’ vision of 24/7, coordinated care across the health continuum – the right care delivered at the right time in the right place,” said Jeroen Tas, Chief Innovation & Strategy Officer at Philips. “American Well already collaborates with many of the largest insurers and healthcare providers in the U.S., offering great opportunities for joint business development with the aim to create a better patient experience in this important new area of digital healthcare delivery.”

Phase one of the partnership brings American Well’s telehealth service into the Philips Avent uGrow parenting app. Designed to support parents monitoring their baby’s development, uGrow connects wirelessly to an ecosystem of devices, such as the Philips Avent smart baby monitor. Coming to the ecosystem later this year, uGrow will include voice activation with Amazon Echo and the Philips Avent smart feeding kit that will automatically monitor the time, volume and duration of a baby’s feeds.

By connecting consumers directly with providers, American Well provides the secure, on-demand real-time video connection to a relevant healthcare professional (pediatrician, adult medical doctor or mental health specialist) online or via mobile phone, 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, and helps with scheduling an appointment with a lactation consultant. For the service, consumers will pay a fee, which differs by care professional type and consultation duration. For concerned parents, the in-app virtual care capability offers a unique advantage, saving time and the cost and trouble of an ER visit.

Source: press release Philips