At the recent mHealth Summit in suburban Washington, D.C., both Verizon Wireless and Qualcomm announced their entry into sensor- and smartphone-based wireless patient care systems.Verizon’s Digital Healthcare Suite connects sensors, which are supplied by a variety companies, in the home or an assisted-living facility.

The information collected by the sensors can be transmitted in near real-time to doctors and health care providers, and to insurance companies or other payers. Two-way communication is carried out by video conference, text, chat or email on smartphones, tablets or PCs. Verizon hopes that the prospect of lower costs through better care management will encourage insurers to support the system.