AT&T is partnering with VRI, a US telehealth provider, to launch a cellular-enabled remote monitoring service in the third quarter of 2012. The two companies plan to offer their managed service to healthcare providers and payers in the US. Patients newly discharged from hospital will be monitored in their home by the proposed service.  

The managed service will enable a VRI-staffed centre to monitor patients via the AT&T network across a range of measures from basic vital signs to chronic diseases including asthma, COPD, coronary heart disease, congestive heart failure and diabetes. The service can alert caregivers when needed.  AT&T and VRI are reimbursed through a monthly price per patient charged to healthcare provider or payer such as an insurance company.

Remote monitoring of patients is increasingly viewed as a central to the mhealth strategy of mobile operators. Some operators are offering M2M connectivity so that medical equipment vendors can deliver remote monitoring in what is essentially a B2B strategy for the operators.

However AT&T appears to have a more active partnership with VRI.  The operator says it is providing various aspects of the managed service including wireless connectivity but also sales and marketing support as well as the delivery/ return to the patient of monitoring equipment.

AT&T hopes to establish a model whereby healthcare providers and payers provide a list of patients to the operator and its partner. VRI will equip, train, monitor and respond to alerts from patients.