Tech giants Best Buy Health and Apple team up for health technology tailored towards senior citizens
Best Buy Health, the retail giant's health services division, has made a significant move into the healthcare technology space. The company, which acquired GreatCall for $800 million in 2018, has now released health and safety tools for older adults via the Apple Watch.
The Lively Health & Safety Services, a part of the GreatCall acquisition, can be accessed on Apple Watch through the Lively Link app. Users can benefit from health and safety features, such as Urgent Response and Urgent Care, as well as caregiver support through location tracking, device status, and call history.
However, the full Live Agent Assist functionality, which would enable live, monitored agent response directly through the watch, is not clearly offered or confirmed as active as of now. The main emergency monitoring with live agent response is still primarily tied to Lively's dedicated medical alert devices rather than fully integrated on the Apple Watch platform.
The Apple Watch itself offers built-in emergency calling, fall detection, and location tracking, but it routes calls directly to 911, lacking the monitored response and caregiver check-ins that Lively's system provides.
In addition to the Apple Watch expansion, Best Buy Health plans to produce consumer health products, device-based emergency response tools, and virtual care services. The Preferred Health & Safety package includes features like Urgent Response, Urgent Care, and the GreatCall Link app, which notifies loved ones in a crisis and provides updates.
Despite the job cuts of 5,000 mostly full-time roles last month and adding 2,000 part-time roles, Best Buy Health aims to match doctors with patients through its virtual care services. The company is not alone in this endeavour, as other traditional retailers, including Walmart, Rite Aid, and Walgreens, are also expanding into the healthcare services space.
At the time of acquisition, GreatCall had 900,000 paying subscribers. As Best Buy Health continues to grow and evolve, it remains to be seen how the integration of Lively Health & Safety Services into the Apple Watch will develop and what new features may be introduced in the future.
[1] Lively Health & Safety Services on Apple Watch: What You Need to Know
[4] Apple Watch vs. Lively: Which is Better for Seniors?
[5] Lively Health & Safety Services on Apple Watch: A Comprehensive Guide
- Best Buy Health, previously known for its retail business, is now expanding into healthcare services, particularly in the technology sector.
- After acquiring GreatCall in 2018 for $800 million, Best Buy Health has introduced health and safety tools for seniors on the Apple Watch via the Lively Link app.
- The Lively Health & Safety Services on the Apple Watch offer various features such as Urgent Response, Urgent Care, location tracking, and caregiver support.
- However, the Live Agent Assist functionality, which would provide live, monitored agent response, is not yet actively available on the Apple Watch platform.
- In addition to the Apple Watch expansion, Best Buy Health plans to develop consumer health products, device-based emergency response tools, and virtual care services.
- Despite recent job cuts, Best Buy Health is aiming to compete with other retailers like Walmart, Rite Aid, and Walgreens by providing virtual care services connecting doctors with patients.
- As Best Buy Health continues to integrate Lively Health & Safety Services into the Apple Watch and evolve, there's potential for new features to be introduced in the future.
