Verizon announced Thursday that it has received U.S. Food and Drug Administration 510(k) clearance for Converged Health Management, a cloud-based, remote patient-monitoring medical device. This marks the first time Verizon has sought and gained FDA clearance for a healthcare solution, company officials said.

The new tool, which resides in the company’s HIPAA-ready cloud, provides clinicians with access to up-to-date patient data from connected biometric devices so they can more efficiently monitor and manage patients from their home, or when they are on the go, according to a Verizon news release. 

[See also: Verizon, Univ. of Virginia and Swinfen unite for telemedicine.]

Health management remains an untapped area with the potential for enabling clinicians to help patients help themselves through improved awareness of their condition, says Verizon officials. In addition, access to up-to-date patient health data enables clinicians to deliver more personalized care to patients.

"Verizon is committed to improving the dynamics of the U.S. healthcare system," said Peter Tippett, chief medical officer and vice president, Verizon Innovation Incubator. "By leveraging our mobile health expertise, HIPAA-ready cloud, 4G LTE wireless network and leading security solutions, Verizon is uniquely positioned to drive innovation in healthcare."

"Converged Health Management will accelerate focus on care management through mobile technologies as patients increasingly take more responsibility for their health," Tippett said.

"Verizon continues to invest in transformational technologies that address some of the nation’s biggest challenges in healthcare," he added.

Verizon’s Converged Health Management solution will be commercially available in late 2013, according to company officials.

[See also: Verizon doubles down on telehealth.]