PERTH: Medical technology company, HeraMED Limited has entered into a cooperation agreement with leading midwife service provider, Kinderheldin GmbH and existing distributor, Duttenhofer Group.

Kinderheldin are a leading midwife service provider, based in Berlin. The group has developed a web based, online platform that offers expecting parents access to midwives through online chat or telephone.

Midwives are providing support and consultation, discuss insecurities, everyday problems associated with pregnancy, health issues, nutrition and early childhood development. Kinderheldin’s team of midwives is supported by an experienced medical advisory board, which includes top tier physicians and an in-country software development team.

Under the Agreement, HeraMED, Duttenhofer and Kinderheldin will collaborate to provide Kinderheldin’s web-based online midwife service to expecting mothers using the HeraBEAT smart foetal heart rate monitor.

This will culminate in the inaugural release of HeraBEAT Plus. This Agreement furthers HeraMED’s ongoing push into a telemedicine and medical services model. The Agreement has term of two years, unless terminated for cause or early by either party giving three months’ notice.

HeraMED and Duttenhofer will offer the midwife service to consumers using the HeraBEAT device via individual access codes, which will be provided when the device is purchased. The additional midwife service will be complimentary for users who purchase the HeraBEAT device during the launch stage while the planned business model for the next stages involves a transition to a monthly rent and subscription-based payment.

Kinderheldin’s midwives will also be able to access data generated from HeraBEAT, which will assist them in making more informed decisions and providing a better duty of care. Kinderheldin and HeraMED are planning to initiate discussions with medical organisations and insurance companies for use of the device and service.

Kinderheldin work with over fifty insurance companies including some of Germany’s oldest and largest. Its partners include Barmer, BKK Mobil Oil and HEK amongst others. The group also has cooperation agreements with five major hospitals in the country. All parties are working to progress the launch of the solution in time for Duttenhofer’s planned launch of HeraBEAT in Germany as the first of its kind, closed loop home monitoring pregnancy service.

Dr. Paul Hadrossek, founder and managing director Kinderheldin said: “The German E-health market holds great potential and is accelerating rapidly, specifically with the new digital care act which paves the way for reimbursement of the costs of digital health solutions under certain conditions.“By adding Kinderheldin, the proven midwife tele consultation service and market leader in this field to the HeraBEAT device to launch HeraBEAT Plus, we will enable great synergies in addressing the market potential of ±760,000 pregnancies annually. On top of that, we are excited about combining the great technological know-how of HeraMED and our substantial expertise regarding market access in the highly regulated German healthcare sector for further development.”