ResMed, Google sibling Verily form digital health venture to improve access to sleep treatment

Dive Brief:

ResMed and Verily have formed a joint venture to provide personalized care to address sleep disorders.
The venture, named Primasun, will screen people online, connect them virtually to sleep specialists and provide at-home testing, treatment and personalized coaching as needed.
Primasun plans to collaborate with employers and healthcare providers to identify populations at risk in the belief its digital health platform can improve productivity and accelerate diagnosis.

Dive Insight:

Companies including Verily’s Onduo in recent years have begun providing virtual care models for people with chronic conditions such as diabetes. The idea is to combine connected devices, software, analytics and virtual coaching and clinician interactions to improve the management of chronic conditions. Primasun is applying a similar approach to the management of complex sleep disorders.

“We believe there's an opportunity to build a more efficient, equitable healthcare solution that helps patients clinically improve their sleep, and in turn, their quality of life. We're proud to offer a solution that lowers barriers to care, empowers patients to take control of their health, and helps reduce poor sleep's strain on the home, workplace, and healthcare system,” Primasun CEO Jonathon Lobbins said in a statement.

Combining the sleep expertise of ResMed and healthcare research capabilities of Verily, a sibling of Google, the startup has created a virtual pathway for identifying and managing sleep disorders. Users complete an online assessment and are connected to sleep physicians via an app.

The sleep physicians on the app diagnose and treat obstructive sleep apnea, evaluate patients with insomnia symptoms and provide guidance to improve sleep hygiene. If needed, patients receive an at-home sleep test, enabling Primasun to gather information on their sleep without requiring them to spend a night at a dedicated lab. Primasun’s website references the use of the WatchPAT ONE, an at-home disposable sleep test technology sold by the Zoll Medical subsidiary Itamar Medical.