Telemed startup offers smartphone stethoscope, thermometer to consumers

Even as some, including the well-known Eric Topol, MD, call for the handheld ultrasound to replace the stethoscope, others are working on bringing a 19th-century tool into the 21st century and bringing the consumer into the equation.

Startup CliniCloud, formerly known as StethoCloud, the Smart Stethoscope, is now taking pre-orders for wireless stethoscopes and thermometers that take readings at home and connect to smartphones to send readings to physicians.

The devices are not cheap, but the San Francisco-based company is marketing its products to consumers as a way to avoid having to visit a doctor when sick. The pre-order price this month of the bundled stethoscope and touchless thermometer kits is $109; it will go up to $149 in March, reports TechCrunch.

 “We are putting these powerful tools into the hands of everyday users, allowing them to accurately record vital signs that can be shared with their primary care doctor as well as a network of on-demand physicians to determine if a cough is just a cold or something more serious, like pneumonia or asthma,” CliniCloud co-founder Andrew Lin, MD, is quoted as saying.

It remains to be seen whether independent physicians will embrace this service, since it potentially eats into revenue from patient visits, but CliniCloud is partnering with Doctors on Demand to offer remote consultations.