Houston Companies Partner to Protect Homebound Seniors from Fall Risk During COVID-19
Galen Data's Turnkey Cloud Solution Allows Zibrio to Remotely Connect Homebound Seniors With Their Physicians to Monitor Their Balance and Reduce the Risk of Life-Threatening Accidental Falls
HOUSTON, Aug. 31, 2020 /PRNewswire-PRWeb/ -- Galen Data, a leading provider of cloud technologies for medical devices, and Zibrio, the maker of a balance measurement and support device, today announced a new partnership to further enhance the device's ability to protect seniors from potentially life-threatening accidental falls.
The patented Zibrio SmartScale measures physical balance and uses AI to predict an individual's likelihood of falling. The accompanying Zibrio Balance Coach App tracks progress over time and provides recommendations to the user to encourage positive behaviors that affect balance. Leveraging the Galen CloudTM, the company can now securely connect data from the device with a patient's physician — supporting remote patient care.
Physical balance in older adults is a serious health concern. The CDC reports that 28% of individuals over 65 fall each year (that number climbs to 50% for individuals over 80), bearing an estimated $50 billion annual cost to the US healthcare system. Falls are also the leading cause of accidental death in those over 65.
These dangers are made even more acute by COVID-19. Seniors are increasingly homebound and subsequently are often getting less exercise, losing stability, and becoming more susceptible to life-threatening falls. A recent study published by the Australian PT Association found a 30% increase in falls requiring hospitalization due to COVID-19 in the last 6 months. "With COVID-19 impacting activities of older adults, it was even more critical to find a cost-effective solution to better track, manage, and analyze balance data from our SmartScale," said Zibrio Founder & CEO, Dr. Katharine Forth.
In choosing Galen Data, Forth said "Galen Data offered everything we wanted in one solution. As soon as I met with them, I realized that this was exactly what we needed."
The founders of Galen Data have a combined 50+ years of experience in healthcare technology, medical devices, and regulatory compliance. The company built the first turnkey cloud solution for medical device makers, offering a configurable, secure, and compliant cloud.
"Our partnership with Zibrio is a case study in helping an early stage medical device company focus on what they do best," said Galen Data CEO Chris DuPont. "Galen Data provided outside expertise that has saved Zibrio the needless cost and burden of designing a cloud solution from scratch."
About Galen Data
Galen Data, Inc. provides a turnkey cloud solution for medical device makers that is configurable, secure, and compliant. The company was founded to make device-to-cloud connectivity possible in a matter of weeks instead of months, and at a fraction of the cost. The Galen Cloud™ collects and securely stores data, and includes tools to visualize and analyze that data. Dashboards and alerts for the manufacturer, medical team, and patients are also provided within the platform. The software platform is compliant to FDA, HIPAA, and CE Mark standards, and is ISO13485:2016 certified. Dozens of companies have partnered with Galen Data to solve their medical device connectivity needs.
About Zibrio
ZIBRIO is the balance company, commercializing space technology originally used on astronauts upon return from space flight. The company is dedicated to preventing unnecessary injuries and deaths from falls.
Contact:
Mosheh Poltorak
[email protected]
http://www.galendata.com
Andrea Case-Rogers
[email protected]
http://www.zibrio.com
SOURCE Galen Data
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