Letting Them in the House for Your Health

Intel and GE are teaming up to develop and sell home-based healthcare technology and plan to spend $250 million on research and development over the next five years, says the New York Times. The Wall Street Journal adds that GE chief Jeffrey Immelt said that these funds are "250 million real dollars" and that the companies think they will be helped indirectly by the government stimulus package. Also as part of this, GE will sell the Intel Health Guide that helps patients monitor their health at home and send that information to their physicians. GE also makes a product called QuietCare that uses motion sensors to track patients' daily activities to look for abnormalities that may indicate a fall or other health problems. "Health care has to go efficiently into the home, to enable elders to age in place with dignity," says Louis Burns, the general manager of Intel's digital health group.