Samsung is no stranger to trying their hand at new technologies and looking for the next service, feature or aspect to integrate with their products. They were one of the first android manufacturers to really take a virtual reality seriously and bringing to market their Gear VR unit. Not to mention are currently working on their own payment solution in the form of Samsung Pay. Likewise, it was recently reported that Samsung as interested in adopting the underlying technology behind Bitcoins, Blockchain. The Information suggested that Samsung feels they could utilize the underlying technology for features and services beyond Bitcoins.
Well, the latest venture being reported is a collaboration with known software developers, Nuance. PowerMic is an application which is primarily designed to be a digital dictation unit. The recent news is that Samsung and Nuance have teamed up to bring the technology to the Samsung Gear S smartwatch with a view to assisting medical professions. The logic behind the partnership, is that doctors will be able to use the Gear S to dictate patient information which will then be integrated into the patient’s EHR (Electronic Health Record). For instance, for those who have been to the doctor before and felt they were busier writing or typing then paying direct attention, then this is where the tech will come in. Offering doctors a way to record what is happening without the need for typing and writing.
In addition to PowerMic, the two companies are also showcasing Florence on the Gear S. Florence is an intelligent virtual assistant which is again designed to facilitate those in the medical industry and will allow physicians the ability to record vital signs, document telephone calls, as well as place orders for lab and radiology results. According to vice president of Vertical Business at Samsung Electronics America, Ted Brodheim, “Our Gear S like its predecessor smart watches, keeps health and fitness monitoring as a key feature, so this extension of Gear S to improve the healthcare experience is a natural partnership.” Both PowerMic and Florence will be showcased at this year’s 2015 Health Information Management Systems Society (HIMSS) Annual Conference which is occurring this week. A more open version of PowerMic (PowerMic Mobile) is scheduled to be available for android devices starting from next month.
