Partners HealthCare Center for Connected Health

Abstract

This article reviews the history, current status, and future plans of the Partners HealthCare Center for Connected Health (the Center). Established in 1995 by Harvard Medical School teaching hospitals, the Center develops strategies to move healthcare from the hospital and doctor's office into the day-to-day lives of patients. It leverages information technology to help manage chronic conditions, maintain health and wellness, and improve adherence to prescribed regimen, patient engagement, and clinical outcomes. Since inception, it has served over 30,000 patients. The Center's core functions include videoconference-based real-time virtual visits, home vital sign monitoring, store-and-forward online consultations, social media, mobile technology, and other novel methods of providing care and enabling health and wellness remotely and independently of traditional time and geographic constraints. It offers a wide range of services, programs, and research activities. The Center comprises over 40 professionals with various technical and professional skills. Internally within Partners HealthCare, the role of the Center is to collaborate, guide, advise, and support the experimentation with and the deployment and growth of connected health technologies, programs, and services. Annually, the Center engages in a deliberative planning process to guide its annual research and operational agenda. The Center enjoys a diversified revenue stream. Funding sources include institutional operating budget/research funds from Partners HealthCare, public and private competitive grants and contracts, philanthropic contributions, ad hoc funding arrangements, and longer-term contractual arrangements with third parties.