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The South Korean tech giant Samsung Electronics Co. recently made headlines by acquiring the U.S.-based digital healthcare company Xealth. This strategic move is part of Samsung’s broader effort to enhance its connected care strategy, which aims to revolutionize how health data is monitored and utilized across various platforms.
Connected care refers to a sophisticated service that integrates health data from wearable devices, such as Galaxy smartphones, watches, and rings, with medical services. This approach empowers users to monitor their health more effectively and allows for proactive disease prevention.
On Tuesday, Samsung Electronics announced that it had formalized its acquisition agreement with Xealth, with plans to finalize the transaction by 2025. The deal, valued at hundreds of billions of won, signals a significant investment in digital healthcare.
With Xealth onboard, Samsung aims to accelerate its efforts in providing personalized and comprehensive healthcare services. By merging data from its wearable devices with digital healthcare platforms, Samsung is setting the stage for a new era in health management.
Xealth currently collaborates with over 500 hospitals in the United States and has partnerships with around 70 companies that specialize in digital healthcare solutions, covering vital areas such as diabetes, pregnancy, and surgical care. One of the platform’s standout features is its ability to connect hospitals’ electronic health record systems, enabling medical personnel to suggest health management apps and track patient engagement in real-time.
The platform’s effectiveness is underscored by the impressive data: hospitals using Xealth have seen patient engagement rates soar by over 60 percent. This translates into better health management strategies and enhanced patient outcomes.
For instance, doctors at partnering hospitals can recommend specific applications that assist diabetes patients in managing their blood sugar levels and lifestyle choices, thus providing a holistic view of their health condition.
Samsung’s vision for connected care revolves around empowering individuals to take control of their health. By bridging the divide between everyday health data and clinical medical records, there is potential to create stronger ties between patients and healthcare providers.
Looking forward, Samsung plans to enhance its digital healthcare ecosystem by integrating its consumer electronics with connected care services. This will enable the delivery of even more personalized healthcare solutions to users.
“Samsung aims to improve the health of everyone through our extensive platform, combining our innovative technologies and open collaboration with industry leaders,” stated Roh Tae-moon, president and acting head of the device experience division at Samsung Electronics. Roh emphasized that the acquisition of Xealth leverages its established expertise and extensive healthcare network, serving as a cornerstone for Samsung’s commitment to holistic health solutions.
The digital healthcare market is on a rapid growth trajectory, propelled in part by the increasing aging population globally. According to research from Global Information, the market is projected to reach $266.8 billion by 2025, growing at an annual rate of 20 percent to total $1.03 trillion by 2032.
In addition to Xealth, Samsung’s digital healthcare ambitions were further bolstered by its acquisition of the French AI startup Sonio in May 2024, reflecting its commitment to innovation in healthcare technology.
To date, Xealth has facilitated the delivery of over 27 million digital health solutions to patients, with a user base including more than 200,000 healthcare providers and over 6 million patients utilizing its services.
As the healthcare landscape continues to evolve, professionals using connected care will gain unprecedented access to integrate Samsung Health’s wearable data directly into hospital treatment protocols via the Xealth platform.
“We are excited to join forces with Samsung,” said Xealth CEO Mike McSherry. He emphasized the shared vision of both companies to advance the digital health space, noting that customer health data from wearables can provide valuable context that hospitals currently lack, thereby enhancing data analysis capabilities that extend beyond clinical records.
McSherry highlighted the future possibilities that this partnership presents: “Together with Samsung and its network of healthcare leaders, we will design a bridge between home health monitoring and clinical decision-making, keeping provider workflow and patient engagement at the forefront of this initiative.”
By Kim Gyu-sik and Lee Eun-joo
[ⓒ Pulse by Maeil Business News Korea & mk.co.kr, All rights reserved]
