HealthGrid Blog

Sermo co-founders leaves “baby” for new venture @par8o

2012-01-23T17:15:00.001-08:00

Every now and then I encounter an entrepreneur that really gets something everyone else simply cannot see, and can articulate that unique vision for a future radically unlike anything previously imagined.

Last night I happened upon a series of blog posts by the co-founders of physician social network Sermo (@sermo), Daniel Palestrant MD (@dpalestrant) and Adam Sharp MD, on the blog of their new startup Par8o (@par8o) that captivated my attention and imagination in ways few, if any, other digital health entrepreneur has to date.

Just last week Xconomy reported a story broken by Pharmalot that Sermo’s founder was leaving to spin off a new venture which would resemble a physician-patient matchmaking service that aims to disrupt the physician referral ecosystem and had heretofore been an internal experiment. Once the determination was made by the Pra80 project leadership and the Sermo management and board of directors that the new venture would not compete with the company’s core business and would in fact be a welcome compliment as an independent sister company, the physician entrepreneurs wasted no time issuing their manifesto.

Xconomy quotes Palestrant touching briefly on the economics behind his new business and the opportunity to use social networking principles learned after years spent pouring his “blood and tears” into his “baby” Sermo and growing the physician social network to 130,000 members.

The core vision behind Palestrant’s pitch for Par8o centers around solving issues with non-compliance in the referral process for whatever reason, which leads to significant numbers of basic referrals never even contacting the specialist to whom they were referred. For instance, often times a general practitioner sees a new health problem in a patient and needs to bring in a specialist to tackle the problem head-on–which should work fine in theory. According to Palestrant, though, 20-40 percent of patient referrals never actually result in that patient making or attending an appointment or hand off to a new doctor.

“The patient never goes to the critical step in treatment process and falls through the cracks,” he said. “That’s where Par8o comes in. The company hopes to use software to provide a “universal, very simple mechanism for healthcare providers to refer patients to one another”.

“Not only can we make sure that the referral occurs, but doctors in all parties involved can track and manage that process,” he continued. “They can make sure the appointment actually occurred. We’re then able to allow the healthcare system to start introducing the Pareto efficiencies. In this case the specific challenge is what healthcare provider is best suited to address this [patient's problem].”

Over the last few days we were treated to a taste of the vision behind Par8o on a company blog as the co-founders took turns introducing their new vision for disrupting social medicine. These mini manifestos are among the best startup launch press releases I have seen in the digital health space, and speak to the power of the blog as the central PR tool for entrepreneurs, as does the dozen or more comments from other physicians on each post.

My favorite of the blog’s first series of posts is one in which the founder romantically alludes to the lessons we should take from Vilfred Pareto, the man who inspired the company’s unique name. Vilfred Pareto, was something of a 19th century renaissance man who is widely credited with elevating the practice of economics away from the moral philosophical essays of the Adam Smith era and into a new era of data-driven markets and economic systems which persists (be it mostly on life support) today.

Par8o has been heavily testing and validating its software and we can expect to see it released in the next few months, along with news regarding several potential options the company is considering on the funding front.

via imedicalapps.com

Cross posted from iMedicalApps.com

Axial Exchange wins Health 2.0 challenge for its Care Transition Suite

2012-01-23T17:10:00.001-08:00

Axial Exchange (@axialexchange) recently won the $25,000 Department of Health and Human Services (DHHS) Health 2.0 Challenge.

Their entry was entitled “Ensuring Safe Transitions from Hospital to Home” and included its Care Transition Suite for coordinating data management among all participants, including emergency responders (EMS), physicians, and hospitals, during the transition of a patient back and forth between their home and the clinical setting.

The public challenge, which received 40 submissions, called on developers to devise an intuitive application that dealt with the issues and complications often associated with moving a patient into and out of a hospital safely and efficiently.

The solution combines three of the company’s products, Axial EMS, Axial Alerts, and Axial Patient, to provide an unprecedented view of the patient’s entire care experience. The Suite automatically updates and shares details about EMS transports, ER and inpatient encounters, and specialist test results.

Data is synced across tablets, desktops and Smartphones using native apps and “push” technology as soon as the data becomes available.

Axial has built strong relationships with some of the biggest names in open source, including Apache, RedHat, and RackSpace, and seems very much committed to opening their platform up to potential partners.

“Two-thirds of patients can neither describe their diagnosis nor state the purpose of their medications,” said Joanne Rohde, CEO of Axial Exchange, in a press release. “Our application not only engages patients, but also ensures that information flows to all caregivers in a way that benefits health systems, payors, and patients.”

Raleigh, NC-based Axial Exchange was in the headlines a couple times during 2011, first when they raised a $1.5 million seed round early last year led by Canaan Partners along with IDEA Fund Partners, and again in August when they were named a finalist in the DCtoVC Startup Showcase hosted by Morgenthaler Ventures.

See CEO Joanne Rohde giving the company’s pitch at the DCtoVC event in the video below.

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ensuring safe transitions from hospital to home

Health 2.0

IDEA Fund Partners

Joanne Rohde

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mobile health

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Filed in: 5 categories

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via imedicalapps.com

Cross posted from iMedicalApps.com

Body Media partners with IBM to add machine learning to its FIT armband

2012-01-23T17:07:00.001-08:00

Body Media has partnered with IBM to use Big Blue’s Decision Management platform to help patients meet their personal fitness and weight loss goals by integrating biofeedback features into the Body Media FIT Armband.

Biofeedback will be an increasingly important feature in all body area network technologies if they expect to gain traction with consumers. This feature from Body Media could have a Siri-like effect on the body area network market.

It may reset the bar for innovation and force competitors to incorporate biofeedback and machine learning technology into their products to remain at the cutting edge, much like Android must respond swiftly to Siri and the other innovative breakthroughs made by the iPhone4S.

The new FIT coach component of the BodyMedia FIT Activity Manager software is the first solution of its kind that can calculate and deliver information on:

Whether users are missing, meeting or beating their targets for burning calories daily

Multiple activity options for making up shortfalls in daily goals for burning calories (e.g. “Hop on the treadmill and walk for about one hour at a speed of four mph and you should hit your goal for burning calories today”)

Nutritional analysis of each day’s eating patterns, along with relevant recommendations for correcting problems such as excess fat intake

Overall progress towards the users’ weight loss goals, along with advice to stay on course

“Our BodyMedia FIT Armbands have tracked calorie burn for hundreds of thousands of people trying to lose weight, but we wanted to also help consumers understand how all of this data could effect their fitness goals,” said Christine Robins, CEO, BodyMedia. “By using IBM’s software, the new system now provides daily advice tailored to each user’s specific activities, food consumption and weight loss goals to keep them on track.”

The big winner if Body Media is able to turn machine learning and biofeedback into a feature that excites consumers will be IBM, who in the near-term will be able to license their software Body Media, and ultimately to developers of other personal fitness devices.

“As the marriage of fitness and technology becomes more and more pervasive, we continue to see companies rely on software to distinguish their products in a crowded marketplace,” said Bruce Anderson, general manager, Global Electronics Industry, IBM. “With the help of IBM analytics, BodyMedia has been able to provide users with the insight to make sense of all the information they’ve been tracking and turn it into actionable progress towards their weight loss objectives. This is providing their clients with a fitness experience that no other company can offer.”

Tagged with: 20 tags

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via imedicalapps.com

Cross posted from iMedicalApps.com.

Telehealth goes retail with launch of Care4 physician kiosks by HealthSpot

2012-01-09T18:40:00.000-08:00

Originally published at iMedicalApps.com.

HealthSpot (@health_spot) is set to launch its Care4 Station in the first quarter of 2012 in pharmacies, grocery stores and employer sites in an attempt to become the “ATM of health care”.

“We have spent a lot of time into making sure our consumer experience is just over the top,” said CEO Steve Cashman in an interview with MedCity. Cashman describes the company’s mission to create the “highest quality, most efficient healthcare appointment”.

Appointments on the Care4 Station will cost between $59-$69 when launched to the public, which is very competitive with current rates for retail clinics found at pharmacies around the country.

The Care4 Station is currently undergoing a pilot study with primary care provider Central Ohio Primary Care, and CEO Cashman says the company will have several “major announcements” to make during the early months of 2012. The company plans to focus on expanding within Ohio initially before launching in other states nationwide later this year.

Cashman argues the HealthSpot Care4 Station offers a better experience than traditional retail clinics because patients will have appointments with physicians instead of nurses, as well as an enhanced continuum of care by allowing a patient to visit with the same doctor each appointment.

HealthSpot is actively marketing the kiosks to patients, physicians and pharmacies and just last month the company announced it has entered into an exclusive strategic partnership with Mission Essential Personnel LLC of Columbus, OH to market its Care4 Station to potential military and government clients globally.

According to MedCity, HealthSpot has raised $6 million in venture capital to date, including investment from Columbus-based pharmaceutical distributor Cardinal Health. The company also recently received a $50,000 grant from the State of Ohio, as well as a six-year tax credit valued at $424,000, to support its local expansion.

It is unclear from the information provided on the company’s website what the business incentive is for physicians and pharmacies to join the HealthSpot network, but it seems reasonable to assume revenues will be shared with both physicians and pharmacies. As far as design and user experience goes, the images of the Care4 Station are very impressive and I am eager to see them start popping up in Walgreens and CVS pharmacies around the country soon.

The video below shows the Care4 Station in action.

HealthSpot Segment from Dublin, Ohio, USA on Vimeo.

Three mHealth startups win Rock Health slots | FierceMobileHealthcare

2011-06-04T05:55:00.001-07:00

[1]Three mHealth startups have won coveted spots on business incubator Rock Health's new accelerator platform. Rock Health just announced 11 overall winners in its first class yesterday.

The program provides $20,000 in startup cash, plus five months of training sessions, mentoring, and workshops with business gurus from places like Harvard (the alma mater for all four of Rock Health's founders), and healthcare/eHealth experts with the Mayo Clinic, Epocrates and Doximity, Rock Health co-founder Halle Tecco tells FierceMobileHealthcare.

Right now the winners are all at different stages of development. Some are still polishing their initial idea, while others have prototypes they're beta-testing and a few are nearly ready for market, Tecco says. The program's goal, she explains, is to develop each participant's business plan, prototype and other key elements so that in five months, the companies are ready to pursue true six- or seven-figure venture capital to bring their products to market.

The three mHealth candidates include:

CellScope: This University of California-Berkley-developed company is working on smartphone attachments for at-home diagnostic testing. The first prototype, now in development, will diagnose children's ear infections, Tecco says. It works like this: A microscope-type device is attached to the smarthphone, and takes a high-resolution, microscopic picture of the inside of the ear. The image then can be transferred to a medical professional for diagnosis. The ultimate product, according to Tecco, will diagnose a "portfolio" of conditions, including other types of infection and possibly even cardiac conditions.

Pipette: Physicians will use this smartphone-based product to provide reminders and prompts to keep patients compliant with their treatment regimens, Tecco says. For example, if a patient has a new regimen of diet, drugs and therapy, the physician can craft a series of texts, messages or questions about pain, mobility, drug compliance, and other topics.
The messages are automatically delivered according to the parameters the physician sets up, she explains. For example, with a CHF patient, the physician might include daily reminders about measuring their weight, and automatic questions each week about the patient's diet. Patients respond to the prompts, and the physician uses the information to determine if the patient needs follow up.
One interesting note: The company's founders originally targeted the technology for service companies like hotels and restaurants, to interact with customers during travel. Ultimately, they saw a greater opportunity in healthcare, and switched focus to physician/patient use, Tecco says.

Skimble: This fitness app is the furthest along of all the mHealth candidates, and already has an offering in the iTunes app store. "It's doing quite well," Tecco says. The app is a relatively straightforward fitness product, providing personalized workouts and exercise guidance. One innovative item: It does offer some analytics that allow users to build on today's exercise or fitness data to craft future workouts, and ensure steady improvement. "We really wanted to make sure we had one fitness product in our portfolio," Tecco says.

To learn more:
- read the Rock Health press release [2]
- get more detail [3] at Xconomy
- check out coverage [4] at AllThingsD

Related Articles:
Rock Health gives mHealth startups platform [5]
Interactivity, time determine success of hospital apps [6]
Childrens Hospital of Boston launches app store competition [7]

via fiercemobilehealthcare.com

Rock Health has been one of the most exciting news stories of 2011 in the digital health space and just this week announced its first class of start-ups, including three mHealth companies. Rock Health was co-founded by Harvard MBA student Halle Tecco, who has emerged as a rising thought leader in the intellectual battle to bring innovative digital health technology to consumers though her incubator's focus on attracting successful entrepreneurs to take risks in the under-appreciated Connected Care sector. I expect big things from these companies as their products mature and they graduate as the inaugural Rock Health class.

Wireless applications makes monitoring health easy | CTIA-The Wireless Association® Blog

2011-06-04T04:49:00.001-07:00

via blog.ctia.org

Great feature on remote patient monitoring solutions. mHealth is absolutely (IMHO) the most under-appreciated emerging sector of information technology.

News 3/18/11 || HISTalk Mobile New Roundup

2011-03-20T01:05:00.001-07:00

The new iPad 2, in combination with other tablets and wireless devices, will make 2011 a banner year for mHealth. Layer in the FDA’s Innovation Pathway to speed device approval and the amount of investment money going into mHealth, and we’re going to see a lot of very cool products. The big question mark to me remains payment reform and how all this will be funded (individuals, payers, ACOs, pharma) once we try to go beyond the pilot stage. Obviously we’ll see some big winners, but we’ll also see some very cool products without viable business models.

This KevinMD guest post attempts to subdue the excited about and predictions for the iPad in enterprise healthcare. The reasons cited why the iPad won’t dominate are: 1) IT department unease with Apple products; 2) good, native iPad EMR software doesn’t exist; 3) interoperability; and 4) cost-benefit for execs. The points are valid in the enterprise and the author is writing as an ICU nurse, though these don’t really apply to outpatient or office settings where products like DrChrono already exist.

More DrChrono news, which seems to be getting more and more frequent. This story is about how DrChrono came to be and where it is going in terms of features and an app store platform. The video above shows the speech recognition feature of DrChrono. Have you ever heard a doctor speak that slowly, especially when dictating?

Stanford Hospital (CA) begins receiving remote, in the field ECGs from paramedics ahead of arrival at the emergency department. The system is built on Physio-Control’s LifePak.

Preventice is collaborating with Mayo Clinic to develop mobile apps for patients and providers. The first, called CARD, provides information about chemicals and other allergens contained in skin care products. It’s always nice when an mHealth developer can get the backing of a big name content organization like Mayo.It’s a big part of why I think Healthrageous will be very successful. Starting a health-related company in Rochester, MN or Cambridge, MA is a very strategic move.

Akron Children’s Hospital releases Care4Kids iPhone app (free). The app lets you find information about doctors and facilities as well as store medical and insurance information. As an added bonus, you can use the app to earn one free parking pass.

Health-e-Access, a telemedicine service offered by the University of Rochester Medical Center’s Golisano Children’s Hospital, is found to reduce the number of missed school days for kids and consequently missed work days for parents. The program provides telemedicine access to schools, child care centers, and community centers.

A trial of telemedicine care for HIV patients finds it to be equivalent to standard, office-based care in terms of clinical outcomes and quality of life. The virtual study group felt they had improved access to clinical data. With HIV becoming a chronic disease, at least in developing countries, this might serve as a good alternative method for care, especially if cost is found to be equivalent or less.

The VMWare View video above depicts the use of the software to enable iPad access to MEDITECH at Children’s Hospital of Central California. According to the video, which is promotional for VMWare, this was the only way for the hospital to securely deploy iPads.

Community Hospital (NE) begins testing telestroke services provided by Great Plains Regional Medical Center.

GE and partner MedHelp have a suite of free apps available to consumers that GE hopes will “spark a healthcare revolution.” The data, whether about moods or diet or activity, is helpful, but needs to be analyzed if a doctor is going to be able to use it. In the limited time a doctor has with a patient, they don’t have time to walk through a journal from a patient — they need an intelligent summary.

It’s hard to escape all the healthcare-related tablet talk out there. This post presents a platform, WebOS (formerly Palm) that hasn’t gotten much attention because it is not Apple or Google. HP now owns it and is building mobile tablet hardware that uses WebOS. The author thinks HP and WebOS has a real shot to take back some ground from Apple, citing the open source nature of WebOS and the lack of approval needed to distribute apps. I have to say I don’t agree, and as we covered last week, lack of app approval hurts more than helps in healthcare.

Travis Good is in his final year of an MD/MBA program and is involved with multiple health IT startups.

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