OREANDA-NEWS. Royal Philips (NYSE: PHG, AEX: PHIA) today announced the first in a series of personal health programs that empower consumers to take greater control of their health. Each health program comprises connected health measurement devices, an app-based personalized program and secure, cloud-based data analysis. The first health program will debut at this year’s Internationale Funkausstellung (IFA), which takes place in Berlin, Germany, from September 4-9. It will be followed by health programs that focus on heart health, back pain and other health areas. The first personal health programs will go on sale in Germany in October 2015 and in other markets in 20161.?

Philips personal health programs represent a new era in connected care for consumers, patients and health providers, as healthcare continues to move outside the hospital, and into our homes and everyday lives. They are built on the Philips HealthSuite Digital Platform, an open and secure, cloud-based platform that collects and analyzes health and other data from multiple devices and sources. These health programs leverage Philips’ deep healthcare and consumer expertise and will be brought to the market via professional and consumer channels. Every year over 275 million hospital patients are monitored by Philips equipment and Philips sells the same number of consumer appliances into homes across the world.

“Consumers are increasingly engaged in their personal health and they want solutions that empower them to stay healthy and prevent illness,” said Pieter Nota, Executive Vice President and CEO Personal Health, Royal Philips. “They understand that there is a need for active health management to stem the rising tide of chronic diseases and unhealthy lifestyles. Philips is the only technology company with a range of professional and consumer offerings that can combine clinical and personal health data across the health continuum to encourage prevention and healthy living, to speed diagnosis and treatment, and to enable better recovery and home care. Philips personal health programs will help consumers develop healthier habits for life.”

Philips personal health programs will empower individuals: to measure vital signs to understand how lifestyle choices affect their body; to set goals and monitor their progress; and to stay motivated with intelligent programs, developed with leading doctors and psychologists, responding to individual progress and making personalized recommendations. The programs meet the highest privacy and security standards, observing local laws such as the EU Privacy Directive and Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA).

The health measurement devices that gather information for the Philips personal health programs are all Bluetooth enabled, connecting wirelessly to the Philips HealthSuite Health app so users can conveniently track their measurements over time. The health measurement devices automatically transfer data to the Philips HealthSuite Digital Platform. They include:

  • The Philips health watch – a connected watch using our latest technology, including a proprietary optical heart rate sensor and accelerometer for lifestyle tracking. It continuously and automatically measures a wide range of health biometrics (including heart rate, activity, and sleep patterns).  It is unique in that it is being designed as a medical device to help prevent or mitigate lifestyle-induced chronic conditions. It wirelessly connects to the Philips HealthSuite Health app to measure and track your health biometrics and to make healthy lifestyle choices easier, with a personalized health program that supports and motivates you.
  • The Philips upper arm blood pressure monitor – a tubeless, rechargeable device that allows you to measure your systolic and diastolic blood pressure as well as your heart rate. Has an easy-to-read display with a large backlit screen.
  • The Philips wrist blood pressure monitor – a smaller and easy-to-carry device that allows you to measure your systolic & diastolic blood pressure as well as your heart rate. Is rechargeable via USB.
  • The Philips body analysis scale – an elegant device that measures weight, estimates body fat through Bio-Impedance Analysis, and calculates BMI. Supports the entire family with up to eight user profiles.
  • The Philips ear thermometer – an easy-to-use device that allows you to accurately measure body temperature. Designed with adults, children and new-borns in mind for accurate results in two seconds.

Other products at this year’s IFA that also leverage the Philips HealthSuite Digital Platform are the Philips Lumify mobile ultrasound and the Philips Smart Air Purifier 8000i Series. Philips Lumify is the world’s first app-based ultrasound product of its kind, designed for emergency departments and other clinical settings. It comprises a compatible smart device, Philips ultrasound transducer and leverages the Philips HealthSuite Digital Platform to provide point-of-care diagnostics. Philips Smart Air Purifier 8000i Series, with new Aerasense technology, is especially designed to support people who suffer from allergies. It leverages the Philips HealthSuite Digital Platform to provide real-time data on pollens and allergens inside and outside the home.

Also on show is the latest addition to the Hue family, the Philips Hue Lightstrip Plus, which can be controlled from your smart device and provides more light, shades of white and vibrant colored light. In male grooming, the Philips Smart Shaver series 7000, the world’s first connected shaver that learns and adapts to give maximum comfort even on sensitive skin. The Philips Connected multicooker, technology to cook healthy and tasty meals easily, with monitoring and control via your smartphone. And the full Philips Sonicare range of advanced oral healthcare devices, including the Philips Sonicare DiamondClean, Philips Sonicare AirFloss Ultra and the Philips Sonicare for Kids Connected.