About Us

The term "connected health" reflects the range of opportunities for technology-enabled care programs and the potential for new strategies in healthcare delivery.

Founded in 1995 by Harvard Medical School teaching hospitals, the Center for Connected Health develops new strategies to move health care from the hospital and doctor's office into the day-to-day lives of patients. Leveraging information technology -- cell phones, computers, networked devices and simple remote monitoring tools -- the Center helps providers and patients manage chronic conditions, maintain health and wellness, and improve adherence, engagement and clinical outcomes.

Actively involved in sponsored research, the Center evaluates new technologies and programs and develops and executes feasibility studies and randomized controlled clinical trials. It has generated over 100 scholarly publications and helped over 30,000 patients.

What unites these efforts is an emphasis on practical innovations that make a difference in peoples' lives. Guided by a relentless focus on what works and what doesn't, the Center aims to change the way doctors and nurses deliver services even as it expands the ability of patients to manage their own health. Its staff serve on government advisory committees and corporate boards and are active speakers.

Annually, the Center convenes a Symposium attracting over 1,100 thinkers, innovators and funders from all over the world. The meeting has become the pre-eminent global conference of ideas about healthcare, technology and policy.

Our Focus Areas:

Innovate:
Research and evaluation is a critical component of connected health innovation and adoption.  Our focus is on nurturing and evaluation new ideas, products and delivery models by rigorously testing them via feasibility pilots as well as randomized controlled trials.  Our goal is to understand how people interact with technology, and how we can change behaviors to achieve better clincial outcomes.  Learn more.

Accelerate:
We are invigorated by the pace of new technologies that are being developed by innovators worldwide, and their potential applications in healthcare delivery.  In the past 15 years we've met with hundreds of technology developers, contracted with dozens, and have seen how the right technology, in the right patient's hands in the right setting, has a profound impact on care and quality of life.  Learn more.

Operate:
Our programs in heart failure, hypertension, diabetes and other chronic conditions, as well as online second opinions and enhanced medical education and training, are being successfully integrated across the Partners HealthCare network and implemented by major employers. 

• Diabetes Connect and Blood Pressure Connect - These programs offer patients and their care providers a way to keep track of their blood sugar or blood pressure readings, and to collaborate on a care plan between office visits.
  
• Connected Cardiac Care - A home telemonitoring and education program for patients with Heart Failure who are at risk for hospitalization.
  
• Partners Online Specialty Consultations (POSC) - This program offers patients and their treating physicians from around the world online access to thousands of leading specialists at Massachusetts General Hospital, Brigham and Women's Hospital and Dana-Farber/Partners Cancer Care.  POSC has helped more than 10,000 patients with a life-threatening or unusual diagnosis to better understand their options, find answers or, simply, have peace of mind that their treatment plan is right for their situation.  Visit econsults.partners.org for more information.
  
• Collaborative Media Services - Provides video-conferencing and streaming media services that facilitate teaching and learning for clinicians and patients worldwide.  Our expertise includes podcasting and web conferencing, streaming media hosting and cross-platform video on demand.  Visit collaborative-media.partners.org for more information.

 Awards/Recognition

2010: SmartBeat hypertension self-management program named New England's Best Benefits Practice

2009: Dr. Joseph Kvedar named Mass High Tech All-Star of New England Innovation Economy

2009: Microsoft Health Users Group Innovation Award finalist - Center for Connected Health and its technology partner, Claricode

2009: ATA Fellows Induct Dr. Joseph Kvedar for his National Leadership in Telehealth

2009: ATA Leadership Award - Dr. Joseph Kvedar for his national Leadership in Telehealth

2008: Microsoft HealthVault's Be Well Fund Recipient - the Center for Connected Health, named at the Second Annual Microsoft HealthVault Solutions Conference

2007: ATA Congerence Award - Shereene Idriss for her poster

2007: Dermatology Department award - Hagit Bergman, MD and Shereene Idriss

2007: MITX Award - Bridgeline Software and the Center for Connected Health

2006: Stockholm Challenge Award - Dr. Joseph Kvedar for Operation Village Health

2003: NEBATA's New England Business and Technology Award - Dr. Joseph Kvedar for Technology Innovation

2000: Microsoft Corporation's Computerworld Smithsonian Award, Category: Medicine - Dr. Joseph Kvedar for Innovation in health care