Healthcare Technology and News: Vitality GlowCaps Now Available From Amazon

Vitality andAT&T have announced that Vitality GlowCaps are now available on Amazon. These are intelligent pill caps, company officials say, "designed to help patients take medications regularly by sending reminder calls, weekly e-mail reports and monthly updates sent to your physician."

Vitality's AT&T-connected GlowCaps fit on standard prescription bottles, and use both light and sound reminders, which company officials say "can be followed by a phone call or text message so people don't miss a dose." Each time the pill bottle is opened, adherence data is recorded and securely relayed to Vitality over the AT&T wireless network. The Vitality GlowCaps will be available for $10 per cap and $15 per month for AT&T service.

Using pattern recognition, Vitality "uncovers the key motivational levers for each individual, and then tailors programs to activate these levers and break through whatever barriers exist." Data generated by GlowCaps can be used to automatically refill prescriptions as pills deplete.

"GlowCaps use real-time feedback loops to act on a number of behavioral motivators: reminders, doctor accountability, social support and help with refills," said David Rose, chief executive officer, Vitality. 

Company officials say that each year, "millions of people fail to take medications as prescribed by their physicians; the World Health Organization estimates that adherence to daily medication averages 50 percent for those suffering from chronic diseases."

Recent research, including work by the New England Healthcare Institute, calculates the costs resulting from non-adherence at $300 billion annually.

In September TMC had the news that Vitality CEO David Rose and President Josh Wachman announced results of their flagship product, the GlowCap, at top healthcare conferences, including Mayo Clinic's Transform 2010, followed by Harvard's Connected Health Symposium.