Two tech cos. to market, develop home-based health technologies

FAIRFIELD, Conn. Two technology companies have created an alliance to market and develop home-based health technologies that will help elderly people live independently and people with chronic conditions manage their care.

General Electric and Intel Corp. announced Thursday that GE Healthcare will sell and market the Intel Health Guide care-management tool, designed for healthcare professionals who manage patients with chronic conditions.

With a dramatic rise in the number of people with chronic conditions, the market for home health monitoring and telehealth is predicted to grow from $3 billion this year to as much as $7.7 billion in 2012, according to Data Monitor.

Under the agreement, GE Healthcare and Intel will work together to develop and commercialize home health technologies, as well as expand current development programs in home health and independent living technologies to include new areas such as fall prevention, medication compliance, sleep apnea, cardiovascular disease, diabetes and personal wellness monitoring.

“Improving healthcare accessibility and reducing costs are essential to economic recovery and growth,” GE chairman and CEO Jeff Immelt said in a statement. “We think this partnership offers the potential to lower costs by keeping people out of hospitals while giving health professionals the data they need to deliver the best possible care.”

GE stocks were trading at $10.77 on the New York Stock Exchange Thursday and early Friday, up from slightly above $10 Wednesday.