Samsung
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ZDNET’s key takeaways
- Samsung Health users can now book virtual doctors’ visits.
- They can also manage Walgreens prescriptions on the app.
- The virtual doctors can prescribe medication and provide care.
You can do more than track your sleep, steps, or cycle on Samsung’s Health app. Samsung announced several health integrations to connect users with practitioners and pharmacies on Wednesday.
Starting Sept. 8, Samsung Health users can schedule virtual visits with doctors and connect to Walgreens pharmacies for prescription management.
In partnership with virtual care clinic HealthTap, Samsung Health will now connect users with doctors when they’re looking for a faster alternative to an in-person doctor’s visit. The new feature lets Samsung users message their virtual doctors in between video visits and same-day appointments. The press release also highlights its 365-day on-demand urgent care.
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The health data that Samsung collects through its smartwatches and smart rings will not be shared with doctors. But users can take the information Samsung collects, such as potentially concerning health trends like low sleep scores or sleep apnea indicators, and share those with the doctor during their visit. Samsung Health’s Wellness tips can use that information to encourage users to book virtual visits, a spokesperson said.
The doctors can give care — just like a primary care provider — and can also prescribe medication for symptoms.
Samsung users have been tracking their prescriptions through the Samsung Health app, but they haven’t been able to connect to medication providers until now. The Walgreens integration changes that. Users can track, compare, and manage prescriptions directly in the Health app, putting their health and medication records in one place.
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This is Samsung’s latest move to develop a “comprehensive system” that plays a part in every stage of a user’s health journey, as Samsung’s Praveen Raja outlined at the company’s January Unpacked event. In July, Samsung announced the acquisition of Xealth, a health technology platform that connects users to care providers.
“Often, customer health data measured on wellness tools, which keep track of one’s wellness journey every day, and clinical records at hospitals are managed separately, leading to missed insights and delayed care,” Samsung wrote in the July press release.
Rollout begins on Sept. 8 and might take a few days to come to all Samsung Health apps. Care cost varies based on the care provided and a user’s HealthTap membership tier. It also takes insurance.
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