Best Medical Alert System 2020

The personal emergency response system (PERS), also known as a medical alert system, has a wireless transmitter that can be activated in an emergency. Next, the signal emitted from these transmitters is transmitted to an alarm monitoring company's central station or other emergency agency. Further, the medical personnel is dispatched to the site where the alarm is activated. This system allows the person to call for help in an emergency by pushing a button. The purpose of this system is to help a senior citizen in case of a medical emergency such as heart attack, sudden fall, dementia, and Alzheimer's, as well as to equip the senior living facilities and assisted living facilities with the appropriate aid in case of medical emergency to ensure that these senior members live an independent and a care-free, healthier life. Going further in this document, we will learn in detail about the medical alert system providers, various medical alert system applications, various types of the medical alert system, the latest trends and developments

Top 10 Medical Alert System Companies

1. Philips Lifeline
2. Lifefone
3. ADT Medical Alert System
4. VRI Connect
5. Guardian Medical Monitoring
6. MobileHelp
7. Alert1
8. Bay Alarm Medical
9. Connect America
10. Medical Guardian

Philips Lifeline - Philips Lifeline medical alert service provides a complete medical alert device product with emergency response offerings and an educational website that is sponsored by the Phillips name. Its core product line includes HomeSafe Standard, HomeSafe with AutoAlert and GoSafe2. It’s an easy-to-use medical alert system that allows you to summon help any time of day or night – even if one is unable to speak. Read more

ADT Health - ADT Health provides a medical alert system that fits every lifestyle. With ADT medical alert system, you get protection while you’re at home, or wherever you go. It also offers features like Fall Detection, which can get you help even if you are unable to push the button. Read more

Alert1 - Alert1 develops and provides a wide range of innovative products in three primary areas of senior care technology. Alert1 offers both cellular or landline systems, there’s no need of landline to use Alert1’s systems, and for cellular, it allows you to choose between AT&T and Verizon. Read more

Connect America - Connect America, one of the largest independent provider of personal emergency response systems (PERS), is highly dependable systems that enable patients to be safe and independent while reducing readmission costs for providers. With its simple push of a button instantly connects subscribers with highly trained emergency response operators who evaluate the situation and send the help they need — anytime, anywhere. Read more

VRI Connect - VRI Connect is easily accessible with the push of a button, enabling its clients to remain active with on-the-go solutions or engaging them in their healthcare with vitals monitoring and medication management. It provides solutions that help clients live confidently and independently. Read more

Guardian Alarm - Guardian Alarm enables you to extend your independence, both inside and outside the home, with its tailored product options that fit individual needs. It offers a variety of products and services for specific needs and lifestyles like Help Buttons, Life Safety Solutions, Rx Safety for monitoring prescription medication with easy-to-use medication dispensers. Read more

Medical Guardian - Medical Guardian provides a moveable medical alert device, Active Guardian, that has both GPS and Wi-Fi-based location technologies, it provides the most innovative protection service at home and on-the-go. It uses a cellular network to connect you to our monitoring center. Read more

Bay Alarm Medical - Bay Alarm Medical is one of the trusted medical alert providers that offer multiple product options for customers to choose from. Its product portfolio includes the standard in-home medical alert system, a cellular no home phone line system, and an on-the-go GPS mobile alert button. It also offers a fall detection button as an option. Read more

Market Overview

The medical alert system market was valued at USD 5.9 billion in 2019 and is expected to grow at a CAGR of 7.9% during the forecast period 2020–2025 to reach USD 9.5 billion in 2025. The medical alert system is majorly used by elderly individuals who are prone to various chronic diseases such as Alzheimer’s, dementia, diabetes, weakening of reflexes, heart diseases, and other health issues. The old aged people are susceptible to falls, which is a major reason for severe injuries among the elders and, if not treated in time, could lead to disability or death. Apart from receiving help during an emergency, these devices are also used by people to ensure safety and security when living or traveling alone. The medical alert system market is praised by hospitals, doctors, and healthcare organizations such as the American Heart Association (US) and the American Association of Retired Person (US)

The medical alert system is used by the geriatric population or people who need special care, to send the emergency signal in order to contact emergency services or caregivers. The medical alert ecosystem consists of—hardware device, monitoring platform, response center, and caregiver. The hardware is a console along with a transmitter used for communication between the user and the monitoring center. The response centers are responsible for dispatching the emergency personnel after the emergency signal is received from the user’s end, and ecosystems are the caregivers, which can be family, friends, or any other person assigned by the user.

Vendor evaluations are based on two broad categories: product offering and business strategy. Each category carries various criteria, based on which vendors have been evaluated in the medical alert system. The evaluation criteria considered under product offerings include the breadth of offering, delivery (based on industries that the vendors cater to, deployment models, and subscriptions), features/functionality, delivery, product quality and reliability, and product differentiation. The evaluation criteria considered under business strategy include geographic footprint (on the basis of geographic presence), channel strategy and fit, vision alignment, and effectiveness of growth (on the basis of innovations, partnerships, collaborations, and acquisitions).

Koninklijke Philips, Connect America, Valued Relationships (VRI), Guardian Alarm, and Alertone Services have been recognized as the visionary leaders in the Medical Alert System market. They offer a strong portfolio of solutions and services to their commercial clients. The products and solutions of these companies are highly scalable and can be customized as per the requirements of the clients. These companies are said to be investing significantly in R&D to introduce innovations in the Medical Alert System. Moreover, these companies have also undertaken various organic and inorganic strategies to achieve consistent and advanced growth in the Medical Alert System market.

Medical Guardian LLC, ADT Corporation, GreatCall, Galaxy Medical Alert Systems, and Bluelinea have been recognized as the dynamic differentiators in the Medical Alert System market. These companies have a significant network of channel partners and resellers to increase the deployment of their solutions across a multitude of verticals. The dynamic vendors have been consistently generating positive revenue growth in the Medical Alert System market and their market position has heightened by their organic and inorganic ventures.

QMedic, BayAlarm, Lifefone, MobileHelp, and Critical Signal Technologies have been recognized as innovators in the Medical Alert System market. These companies offer innovative solutions for fixed and mobile GIS Software. They also have a strong breadth and depth of product offerings. The innovators have been at the forefront in deploying their solutions for niche and custom software requirements of the clients.

Rescue Alert, Better Alert, LifeStation, Response Now, and Vanguard Wireless have been recognized as the emerging companies in the Medical Alert System market. The emerging players are specialized in offering highly niche and tailor-made solutions and services to their clients. These companies devise new ways of working to drive business results in the market.

Medical Alert Systems - Market Dynamics

What are the major drivers in the Medical alert System Market?

Increase in geriatric population and health literacy across the globe

The increasing medical literacy rate in developed and developing countries is an important factor for increasing the adoption of a medical alert systems. The developed countries around the world have consistently worked towards imparting health education to the people and the importance of a healthy environment. In recent years, governments of developing countries such as China, India, and Brazil have taken various steps to overhaul healthcare systems. Some of the major steps undertaken by the governments of these countries include incentives on medical devices and awareness programs on health care. The healthcare expenditure in these countries has increased significantly over the past few years and is expected to rise in the years to come.

Rising adoption of Smart & Mobile Emergency Response System

The emergence of mobile PERS has been one of the leading factors driving the medical alert systems market. There has been a massive shift from the traditional medical alert systems to the mobile medical alert system. This is due to the evolution of wireless technology. As per the US Department of Health and Human Services (HHS), half of the households in the US do not have a landline system and use cellular technology. People have embraced wireless technology because of the mobility it offered, which is suited for people with an active lifestyle; it provides and is expected to grow soon. The change in technology from wired to wireless systems, the mobile medical alert systems market is taking strides in the growing direction.

Technological advancements in the medical alert systems

The advancements in technology and its commercialization has led the medical alert system market towards growth. The advent of various technologies such as artificial intelligence (AI), Internet of Medical Things (IoMT), big data, cloud computing, machine learning, and data analytics have impacted the medical alert system market significantly. Companies such as Apple and Fitbit have already made it big in this market by offering smart wearables along with artificial intelligence, which provides critical insights. AiCare, a company providing intelligent senior care, has claimed to use the machine learning analytics and wearable sensor to personalize the elderly care.

Growing inclination of elders towards independent living

The inclination of seniors toward independent living has been increasing across the world. More and more retired elders are opting to be independent living homes for seniors, and lead a dignified living without burdening the aspirations of their children. Financially independent senior citizens are fueling the demand for housing projects developed specifically for them. This has led to an increase in demand for medical alert devices as the seniors have a high fall rate, and the medical alert system can help in emergency situations. The choice of independent living among seniors has swelled up the demand for medical alert systems.

Opportunities for Medical Alert Systems

Medical Alert Systems - Value Chain Analysis

Based on Systems, What are different types of Medical Alert Systems?

Personal Emergency Response Systems (PERS)

The personal emergency response system market is an emerging market because of the rising population of elderly individuals who are prone to falls. The falls are the major reason for a severe injury among the seniors, and this is because of the delay in providing them the proper treatment. The PERS devices help these elderly individuals to avail the medical assistance in such an event. The benefits of PERS are many and can be availed even outside the home.

Nurse Calling System (NCS)

A nurse call system is an emergency response system that helps in communicating with the hospital staff. These systems are deployed at various places such as assisted living centers, clinics, physician’s offices, nursing homes, and hospitals. The nurse calling systems helps the caregiver to deliver better service with efficiency and attention by facilitating the communication between the caregiver and patient.

Smart Belt

The smart belt is the next level of intervention in the elderly care market, which prevents injuries caused by the fall. The elderly citizens are most prone to falls and injuries caused by the results in heavy medical expenditures. The smart belt is an unobtrusive wearable that springs into action when sensors indicate a fall to provide proactive hip protection. The belt reduces the impact forces on the hip better than leading passive pads on the market, and caregivers are immediately notified using Wi-Fi in the event of a detected fall. The fall management solutions in the form of the smart belt provide flexibility, mobility, and safety to the user. These smart belts are an innovation in the fall management solutions segment and are a way to help seniors before, during, and after a fall with an idea of preventing falls and injuries.

The companies such as Tango Technologies (US), Wolk (Netherlands), HeLite (France), and Hip-Hope Technologies (Israel) provide fall management solutions in the form of smart belts. The introduction of such innovative products in the medical alert systems market has resulted in the positive response of such products. The smart belts are designed for the elderly population who are more susceptible to falls and for differently-abled people.

The smart belts are the latest intervention in the medical alert solutions market with a limited number of players in the market. The penetration of these belts is the highest in the North American region, owing to the high level of awareness among the people living there. Apart from awareness, the region is highly advanced in terms of technology and healthcare, which gives the region an edge over others. The assistance provided by the government in the form of Medicare and Medicaid has flourished the medical devices market in the US.

The smart belts are relatively new but have the potential to grow at a high rate, with the growth rate being at the highest in the APAC region for the smart belts. The elderly population in the APAC region is increasing and has significant growth prospects. The falls are the common cause of injuries among elderly individuals, and these belts reduce the impact of a fall. It prevents severe injuries and reduces the cost involved with the hospitalization. These factors are significant and can drive the market towards the growth path.

Based on connection type, What are different Medical Alert Systems?

The medical alert system has been segmented by the connection type—wired and wireless. The wired medical alert system is connected to the traditional telephone and can be used to call emergency services whenever an individual presses the emergency button. The wireless medical alert system refers to the connectivity and contacting the emergency services with the press of a button.

Wired

The wired medical alert solutions are set up and installed just like a house phone, which is connected to the landline phones and contacts the emergency personnel whenever an individual trigger an emergency signal. The system consists of two elements: a stationary console or a base unit and a pendant with an emergency button. The system works with its wireless wearable counterparts. The pendant can be worn around the neck, on the wrist, or clipped to the user’s clothing. The base unit is plugged into an electric outlet and the telephone jack. The button on the pendant is used to activate the alert system. 

Wireless

The wireless medical alert solutions are designed for the people who are independent and are not homebound; it can be used in the home or around the home. The wireless medical alert systems do not use landline systems but work on cellular networks to contact emergency personnel. These devices also notify family members and caregivers in an urgent situation. The fully wireless medical alert system works similarly to a mobile phone which uses cellular technology to notify the emergency services whenever necessary. The emergency services are dispatched, or the monitoring centers call the caregivers or family members whenever the emergency signal is sent, which makes use of cellular technology.

What are the different medical alert systems based on their offering?

The medical alert system has been further segmented by the offering—monitored medical alert systems, unmonitored medical alert systems, and caregivers. The monitored medical alert systems include monitoring services provided by the various companies to assist the user in case of an emergency by dispatching the right emergency personnel or notifying a caregiver. The monitored medical alert systems are further sliced up into hardware, which includes console unit & transmitters and monitoring services. The unmonitored medical alert systems are the standalone systems that do not require the additional cost of monitoring on a subscription basis.

Monitored Medical Alert Systems

Monitored medical alert solutions assure the safety of elderly citizens to a large extent. These systems are a great way to ensure safety and security to the elders, providing them the necessary help whenever they need it. The monitored systems are in touch with the caregivers or the medical professionals to monitor the health of the older citizens closely or to dispatch the emergency services whenever the user experiences a sudden fall or suffers from a heart attack when alone. The monitored systems allow the caregivers to remotely track the users using motion sensors and online platforms, providing them a sense of relief.

Hardware

The hardware is the crucial part of the medical alert system, which includes a console unit used to contact the emergency services or the monitoring centers, a transmitter used to send the emergency signal, and several sensors for the fall detection. Various companies offer different variants of the medical alert systems giving the users an option to select as per their need and lifestyle. These variants are suited for elderly people who spend most of their time at home or move around the yard or garden.

Console Unit

The console or the base unit of a medical alert systems is a device connected to the traditional landline phones in case of the in-home medical alert systems. In the case of a cellular network-based system, the console unit comes with a SIM card or has been pre-enabled to connect with a cell network connection. The console unit is connected with the monitoring center whenever a user sends the emergency signal, or a fall is detected by the sensors. The advancements in the technology have resulted in the development of smart console unit which works on VoIP or 4G LTE network for faster communication.

Transmitter

The transmitter used in the medical alert system is in the form of a button used to send emergency signals. The transmitters are battery-powered, lightweight, and waterproof buttons that can be used from anywhere in the coverage area. The companies provide transmitters with different coverage range, and the users can opt for the same depending upon the personal requirements. In case of an emergency, the button on the transmitter is pressed by the user to send the emergency signal to the console unit, which in turn dials the emergency number.

Wristband Transmitter

The development of communication and mobile technology has resulted in the improvement of medical alert systems. The wristband transmitters are compact, light in weight, and waterproof, which sends the emergency signal to the base station in case a user experiences a difficult situation such as a fall or heart attack. These transmitters can be worn as a wristband and are easy to use. The advancements in technology have resulted in the inclusion of additional features such as vitals monitoring and fall detection. The wristband transmitters can be used for two-way communication between the users and the response center, which enables the response center to serve the user in an efficient way.

Pendant Transmitter

The other type of transmitter is a pendant transmitter which can be worn around the neck using a lanyard. Pendant transmitters are easy to use in case of an emergency and have an option for fall detection. These transmitters have a different coverage range and have options for people with different needs. The advanced aesthetics of the transmitters resulted in decreasing the social stigma among the seniors of wearing the medical alert system pendant.

Sensors

Sudden falls are the major reason for the severe injuries among older adults and expenditure towards hospitalization. The injuries become more severe if proper medical treatment is not provided on time. The sensors in medical alert solutions are used for fall detection among seniors. The algorithm of the sensors is set up in such a way that these sensors detect any sudden movement and activates the emergency signal. The console unit contacts the response center, which then assesses the situation by contacting the user and accordingly dispatches emergency personals. These sensors play a crucial part in this ecosystem, saving life and unnecessary hospitalization costs for older adults.

Monitoring Service

The hardware is the crucial part of the medical alert system, which includes a console unit used to contact the emergency services or the monitoring centers, a transmitter used to send the emergency signal, and several sensors for the fall detection. Various companies offer different variants of the medical alert solutions giving the users an option to select as per their need and lifestyle. These variants are suited for elderly people who spend most of their time at home or move around the yard or garden.

Standalone Medical Alert Systems

The unmonitored medical alert systems are the standalone device used by the elderly citizens in order to get assistance in case of a medical emergency with the press of a button. The unmonitored systems provide a subscription-free, two-way communication to an emergency contact service in the US or personal contacts. These systems provide the limited-service at a reduced cost, which does not need the monthly subscription fee.

Caregivers

The caregivers include assisted living facilities, senior living facilities, retirement homes, nursing homes, and others. The old age is usually accompanied by severe diseases and weakening of body reflexes making the elders susceptibility to falls, which is a leading cause of severe injuries among the senior citizens. These caregivers take various measures to ensure their residents a sense of safety and security. The use of technology for this purpose is quite optimum and popular.

Assisted Living Facilities

The facility-based care services include assisted living centers for the long term care of the senior citizens who are suffering from various diseases such as Alzheimer’s or dementia. These facilities provide personal care, medical services, and housing & housekeeping facilities to the residents. The people in assisted living centers need daily care, but not as much as a nursing home provides. The use of the medical alert system in such a set-up is quite popular as it is less expensive as compared to other facilities.

Senior Living Facilities

Medical alert systems are quite beneficial for seniors living in senior living facilities or retirement homes. The independent elderly individuals can get fast and easy assistance in case of an emergency. The use of medical alert systems at a senior care facility is beneficial for the users as well as for the caregivers. These systems provide enhanced safety features, reduces the burden on the staff, and provides mobility to the users to maintain their active lifestyle. The medical alert system helps in tracking the location of the users, fall detection, medication reminder, and vitals monitoring.

Who are the end-users of Medical Alert Systems?

Hospitals & Clinics

The application of medical alert systems in hospitals and clinics is quite significant. It helps in monitoring the patients with Alzheimer’s & dementia, provides two-way communication between the caregivers and users, and helps in locating the users. The purpose of medical alert systems in a safe environment such as a hospital is to substitute the watch of a doctor, nurse, or caregiver. The nursing or hospital staff cannot guarantee 24-hour supervision for aged patients. The  medical alert system is more helpful in a situation where people are facing disorders such as dementia and Alzheimer’s. The medical alert system in the hospitals help the user to send an emergency signal emergency or stroke. The fall detection also aids the users to reach out to the caregivers or nurses even if they are unable to press the emergency button. The advanced features in the medical alert systems such as GPS can help the caregivers to know the location of the user. The adoption of innovative technologies and solutions have begun to keep up with changing trends and ensure continued growth in the quality of care provided, as well as their own capabilities.

The demand for medical alert systems in hospitals and clinics is due to its enormous utility. The increasing aged population across the world, along with an increase in chronic diseases, has resulted in demand for healthcare services. The various countries across the world, such as the US, France, Japan, Italy, Australia, the UK, and China, are facing the problem of managing the rising aged population, and hence there is a high potential for the medical alert systems in the hospitals and clinics. Hospitals around the world are adding medical alert systems into their infrastructure in order to make the patient stay safer.

Home-Based Users

The wireless medical alert systems are designed for the people who are independent and are not homebound; it can be used in the home or around the home. The wireless medical alert system does not use landline systems but works on cellular networks to contact emergency personnel. These devices also notify family members and caregivers in an urgent situation. The fully wireless medical alert system works similarly to a mobile phone which uses cellular technology to notify the emergency services whenever necessary. The emergency services are dispatched, or the monitoring centers call the caregivers or family members whenever the emergency signal is sent, which makes use of cellular technology.

Senior Living Facilities

The medical alert system is quite beneficial for seniors living in senior living facilities or retirement homes. The independent elderly individuals can get fast and easy assistance in case of an emergency. The use of a medical alert system at a senior care facility is beneficial for the users as well as for the caregivers. These systems provide enhanced safety features, reduces the burden on the staff, and mobility to the users to maintain their active lifestyle. 

Assisted Living Facilities

The facility-based care services include assisted living centers for the long term care of the senior citizens who are suffering from various diseases such as Alzheimer’s or dementia. These facilities provide personal care, medical services, and housing & housekeeping facilities for the residents. The people in assisted living centers need daily care, but as much as a nursing home provides. The use of the medical alert system in such a set-up is quite popular as it is less expensive as compared to other facilities.

Others

The other long-term care facilities include old age homes, home care settings, retirement homes, and mental healthcare centers. These centers are designed with a setting to make elderly care easy, and hence the application of medical alert systems in such living centers is quite high. Such centers are using medical alert systems in order to make the elderly care efficient and safe

What are the current trends in the Medical Alert System market?

The companies provide various type of medical alert system which suits the individual’s lifestyle. The systems include in-house devices for the elders who stay at home and have a sedentary lifestyle, the in-home and yard devices for people with little physical activity such as gardening or visiting neighbors. The on-the-go devices provide mobility to the senior citizens who want to maintain an active routine. These devices make use of cellular or GPS technology in order to call for medical assistance and location tracking

Adoption of Smart Wearables

The medical alert system market is witnessing high adoption of smart wearables such as smartwatches among senior citizens. The medical alert smartwatches are the next big thing in the field of elderly care and offer multiple functions apart from its conventional task of availing medical emergency services. The medical alert system increases the independence and safety of a senior citizen. There has always been a social stigma among elders about using conventional medical alert devices or pendants. The advent of the smartwatch in the medical alert system market has resulted in an increase in their demand. These smartwatches have numerous functions apart from the traditional task of getting the medical emergency services. Medical alert smartwatches can summon rides, translate text messages into voice messages for easier communication, reminders for medication, and location tracking.

Machine Learning Approach for Detecting Fall

The machine learning algorithm is the future of medical alert systems, and it primarily uses the following approaches to detect fall—Multilayer Perceptron, Naive Bayes, and Support Vector Mechanism. The primary advantages of using machine learning are—enhanced system robustness using high computing resources and adaption according to the individual’s characteristics. Along with this, machine learning is also considered to have better specificity and sensitivity, and slower response time in comparison with the threshold-based fall detection system.

Integration of IoT & AI into Senior Healthcare

The integration of various emerging technologies such as the Internet of Things and artificial intelligence in the elderly care has brought a number of changes. The penetration of the internet in the developed and developing markets is tremendous, leading to a connected environment of various smart devices. The web of electronic devices interconnected with each other forms the internet of things, which can be leveraged in elderly care. The IoT has paved the way for the Internet of Medical Things (IoMT), which is a network of connected medical devices, software applications, health systems, and services. The system sends an internet-based alert whenever there is a medical emergency. All the contacts on the user's list are immediately notified of the incident and the location.

Rise of Telemedicine

The trend of telemedicine is one of the fastest-growing categories in senior care. It allows the medical professionals and the loved ones to have a comprehensive look at the health can well-being of the elders in their care. This technology leads to fewer visits to a doctor, and the patient can be remotely monitored. It permits round-the-clock monitoring of a patient and is useful in predicting a potential crisis before it occurs. The use of wearable devices can assist the caregivers in monitoring the vitals such as pulse rate, blood pressure, activity, and sleep habits. The availability of such information helps caregivers and patients by providing a comprehensive status of one’s health and helps in better decision making.