March 29, 2024

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Amazon in talks to launch at-home medical testing service, says Insider

Amazon is reportedly weighing the start of a support offering at-residence healthcare exams, signaling yet one more foray into healthcare from the technologies big.  

According to reporting from Insider, Amazon is taking into consideration launching an at-residence COVID-19-tests kit in June, and potentially ones for respiratory and sexually transmitted infections.  

“Amazon’s long-expression objective is to increase into other parts, these types of as medical genomics, and start a third-occasion market that sells healthcare exams from other providers,” noted Insider‘s Eugene Kim.

Amazon did not reply to requests for comment.  

WHY IT Issues  

As Insider noted, the three hundred-person workforce guiding the initiative is becoming referred to as “Amazon Diagnostics” internally.  

Amazon had already invested hundreds of thousands and thousands of bucks towards COVID-19 tests for workforce, and aimed at constructing capability for 50,000 exams a day. It also obtained Food stuff and Drug Administration authorization for its at-residence COVID-19 exams in March.

Resources instructed Insider that a diagnostics job could help it capitalize on these types of investments in the longer expression.  

Amazon’s first COVID-19 tests kit could make its debut on Primary Day, with June 21 as a tentative commence date.

As considerably as Amazon Diagnostics, resources outlined various long-expression options, these types of as a third-occasion market for residence and genomic tests.   

At the identical time, resources mentioned the options are still in discussion – and could get scrapped completely.  

THE Greater Pattern

Amazon has created a selection of efforts to elbow its way into the healthcare industry, some a lot more prosperous than some others. Its substantially-ballyhooed Haven partnership with JPMorgan Chase and Berkshire-Hathaway disbanded this yr, ending speculation on how the initiative could disrupt the healthcare landscape.

Still, the enterprise has held experimenting, launching a slew of health-focused Alexa features and a electronic pharmacy.  

And, of training course, you can find Amazon Care – the firm’s telehealth job that will soon deliver app-centered products and services to all 50 states.

ON THE History  

“Amazon made a decision early on in the course of the pandemic that COVID-19 tests would be a critical tool to guarantee the health and safety of entrance-line workforce,” a spokesperson instructed Insider

“Considering that then, we have been operating intently with the Fda to make and enable large scale tests capability employing a point out-of-the-art lab we constructed from scratch – creating new tests capability at no price to the healthcare system. We carry on to innovate to guidance the safety of our workforce, their families, and the communities exactly where they are living,” the spokesperson continued.

 

Kat Jercich is senior editor of Health care IT News.
Twitter: @kjercich
Electronic mail: [email protected]
Health care IT News is a HIMSS Media publication.