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continua Newsletter - September 2007Click here to sign up for the Continua Health Alliance newsletter e-mail list.In This Issue: Featured Article In the News Upcoming Events Progress Report Membership Update Featured ArticlePost Modern Fitness: New Possibilities with ContinuaContinua, since its inception, has considered device and information interoperability in the general health and wellness sphere a ”core” use case of fundamental importance, alongside disease management and independent living scenarios. We sought out two visionary thought leaders from the fitness world for their views regarding Continua’s value proposition in this space. Their ruminations about the emergent paradigm for fitness provided startling insights on the scale of change and potential impact of Continua’s work. Dr. Kim Blair, Founder and President of Sports Innovation Group LLC., and Mr. Donavon Guyot, CEO of Peaksware, LLC shared their views with the Continua Newsletter. Fitness, as an industry, has evolved considerably in a matter of decades with its large scale institutionalization. What fundamental challenges does the fitness industry confront today that will define it in the decades to come? Dr. Blair identifies a critical disconnect that is increasingly in the spotlight – “the infrastructure of the US health care industry is focused on treating problems after they come into existence, with minimal focus on overall healthy lifestyles as a part of preventative medicine. One of the key challenges in the fitness industry is being able to be seen as a part of the health care process.” Mr. Guyot posits a grand challenge facing fitness – that of dealing with three ‘Post Modern paradoxes’. “1) Paradox of Plenty: Calories are increasingly inexpensive and available while nutrient density is declining. 2) Paradox of Productivity: Income is increasingly indirectly related to manual labor and “natural unstructured exercise” is on the decline. 3) Paradox of Perception: As weight and percent body fat increases all around us the standard for normalcy and health will continue to decline. While these are all fairly obvious conclusions, the factors underlying these challenges are complex and mostly related to the new and pervasive nature of advanced technology in our daily lives. The better the fitness industry understands the complexities of these fundamental challenges, the more efficiently we can sort through these paradoxes and address them with innovative solutions.” Continua’s basic message of interoperability will facilitate the creation and exchange of biometric, performance and physiological data seamlessly. From Dr. Blair’s point of view this will certainly help bridge the medical and fitness worlds – “if data sharing is available, then users can combine data from any workout measuring system for a total view on their exercise history. Further, if this information can be shared with the medical providers, adherence to suggested exercise regimes can be monitored. From a research standpoint, having the ability to track fitness data from large populations and compare that with medical data will likely be useful in better understanding the links between fitness and health.” For Mr. Guyot, this goes to the heart of his company’s business. “At Peaksware, we outline the value proposition surrounding the sharing of biometric data by framing it within the context of Monitoring, Analysis and Planning or MAPing both training and nutrition. Ultimately, monitoring needs to be pervasive but passive, analysis should be powerful but intuitive and planning or prescription should be instantaneous but personalized. The current state of technology struggles to strike these balancing acts, but efforts like Continua are huge steps in the right direction.” Personally, Mr. Guyot believes Continua will enable for him what online financial services provide today. “The post modern health and fitness equation is equally if not more complex. Just as standards around online banking and ATMs have put computerized financial management within reach for the masses, Continua has the opportunity to do the same by standardizing the capture and exchange of biometric data.” Should Continua deliver on its interoperability promise, consumers can expect next generation fitness and wellness services and technologies, such as “health assessments, directed fitness programs, directed re-hab programs, etc.”, says Dr. Blair. Mr. Guyot talks about “higher level functionality”, such as Peakware’s Training Stress Score (TSSTM) for cyclists, that the consumer can benefit from when there is “confidence out of the box” about the “primary data”. Mr. Guyot believes Peaksware can then ”focus on developing ways to add value to the data that is meaningful to our customers.” As Continua readies the release of its first version interoperability guidelines next year, Dr. Blair highlights for the fitness industry a very important and under appreciated consequence of interoperability, “Interoperability also opens the door for brand substitution. Each manufacturer in the industry will have to work on brand differentiation in order to maintain market share.” Mr. Guyot is enthusiastic about the utility of Continua for the industry and the value in adopting its interoperability message, stating that “the primary obstacle I see is patience.” Could Continua’s Version 1 guidelines be just what the industry needs at this opportune time? Mr. Guyot gets the final word, noting the breadth and “…complexity of the issues Continua is grappling with. I think they do a good job of being realistic about what can be addressed today and what is best left hovering just over the horizon.” The Editor thanks Dr. Blair and Mr. Guyot. Also, thanks to Mr. Troy Severson, an avid tri-athlete himself and Continua MWG Chair extraordinaire, for facilitating the interviews and his contributions, and to Ms. Jaclyn Hafner from VTM. In the NewsContinua’s mission and progress are drawing significant attention from various national and international organizations, including the press:
Upcoming EventsATA Mid-Year Meeting 2007Date: September 17-18, 2007 Venue: Rio Hotel and Casino in Las Vegas, Nevada Several Continua Members will exhibit at the First Annual ATA Mid-Year Meeting September 17-18, 2007 at the Rio Hotel and Casino in Las Vegas, Nevada. The two day meeting will be jam-packed with ways for Continua Members and other participating organizations to take their telemedicine and telehealth initiatives to the next level. To learn more about the event, visit http://www.atmeda.org/conf/annualmeet.htm. 2007 Partners Connected Health Symposium Date: October 22-23, 2007 Venue:The Conference Center at Harvard Medical, Boston, Massachusetts Continua is a Premier Sponsor of the 2007 Partners Connected Health Symposium, which will be held October 22–23, 2007 at The Conference Center at Harvard Medical. A major theme for this year's discussion is practical economics -- revenue generation and business viability. Payers, providers and vendors, all want to know how to achieve financial success when offering innovative remote monitoring and ehealth products and services dealing with disease management and patient self-management, including revenue models, employee health and wellness programs and personal health records. For a list of keynote speakers and additional information, please visit http://www.connected-health.org/events/symposium-2007.aspx. Continua Fall Summit 2007 (Members Only) Date: October 24-25, 2007 Venue:The Conference Center at Harvard Medical, Boston, Massachusetts Visit the Continua Members Only page for event registration details as well as the event logistics and meeting agenda. Working Group Progress ReportMarketing Working Group
Membership UpdateThe Continua Health Alliance currently has a membership of Promoter and Contributor Members comprised of more than 125 companies. Membership gives you the opportunity to contribute to the advancement of the Continua vision as well as participate and network in Continua members only events. Click here to read more about Continua Health Alliance membership benefits. |
