Philips Expands Beyond Devices: New "Monitoring as a Service" Model Tackles Workforce Shortages and Diagnostic Delays
As the U.S. healthcare system continues to struggle with staff shortages and gaps in care, Philips is redefining its role, expanding beyond its traditional medtech roots. The company no longer just sells monitoring devices it now actively supports health systems in delivering diagnostic services in regions with few specialists.
Essentially, Philips now operates both as a medical technology manufacturer and a service provider, explained Nick Wilson, the company's Vice President of Product, in an interview last week at the Reuters MedTech USA Conference in Boston.
This model helps address workforce shortages, he emphasized. In many regions, for example, there is a scarcity of cardiologists. Philips collaborates with providers like Optum to enable primary care physicians to order cardiac monitoring. Philips handles the technical diagnostics, while cardiologists intervene only during clinical review - a process Wilson says reduces diagnostic delays. Philips' monitoring solutions are designed to support patients across the entire care journey from home to hospital and back again.
For example, patients presenting to the emergency room with dizziness, a common symptom of heart rhythm disorders, can now be sent home with a connected monitoring device instead of staying in the hospital for a two-day observation.
If a patient is admitted, Philips technology allows continuous monitoring throughout the hospital stay, even in specialized areas like the catheterization lab, without changing devices.
Philips also helps hospitals discharge patients earlier by ensuring safe monitoring at home. The company works with health systems and other providers to reduce operational barriers and high capital costs. Its "Monitoring as a Service" model allows hospitals to use the same monitoring network across multiple departments.
According to Wilson, this approach typically reduces equipment costs and staff workload while improving interoperability. One client reportedly saved around 13,000 staff hours in a single year.
"They were able to use the same device with the same subscription across the patient's entire care pathway. We believe policies, reimbursement, and workflows need to work together to unlock the full potential of the data we generate in healthcare", Wilson said.
As Philips continues to expand its connected care system, product development increasingly focuses on user-friendliness and uninterrupted monitoring. Devices should be easy to self-apply and wear continuously, Wilson explained. About 30% of Philips' diagnostic patients receive their devices by mail, without medical staff assistance. The kits include clear instructions and tools to ensure sensors are correctly positioned, making data reliable and accurate. Philips also proactively contacts patients to ensure devices are activated and signals remain stable.
Even in hospitals, avoiding gaps in data is crucial. Philips has developed waterproof telemetry devices that do not need to be removed, reducing the risk of missing cardiac events.
"Most telemetry devices require patients to remove them when showering. And we know that events often occur exactly at those times, creating 'blackouts' in continuous monitoring", Wilson explained.
With the continued expansion of its monitoring portfolio, Philips aims to improve patient safety, close gaps in care, and ensure that no critical cardiac data is lost.
