Author: Thileepan Sivanandham

Categories
Award Covid-19 DApps

Meet the 2020 Pitch for Purpose Finalist

As the world continues to recover from a global pandemic that has swept communities with staggering speed, entrepreneurs across the nation are using their ideas, innovations, and creative minds to generate long-lasting solutions to the challenges that confront us.

That’s why earlier last year the U.S. Chamber of Commerce Foundation, Tata Consultancy Services (TCS), and SEED SPOT teamed up to create Pitch for Purpose, a pitch competition recognizing mission-driven founders whose startups are leveraging technology to change the world. Through the competition, they wanted to elevate social entrepreneurs’ important role in the pandemic response and provide access to resources as needed to help scale the impact.   

Patientory was invited to apply for a chance to win a $15,000 cash prize and gain access to mentorship from industry leaders, as well as a national platform to showcase our solution. 

After much effort, we are excited to announce that we were one of the finalists for the 2020 Pitch for Purpose competition.

About Pitch for Purpose: Pitch for Purpose is held in conjunction with the third annual Digital Empowers Summit, which will convene leading business and community leaders, technologists, and changemakers to set the tech-for-good agenda for the ‘next normal.’ The conference is free and open to the public.

About Patientory: Patientory, Inc., a global population health management software that gives users access to actionable insights from their health data.

Categories
Blockchain Healthcare Providers Patients Public Health

Integrations of SDOH into Healthcare Technology

Patients are people first; treating them holistically requires the use of insights derived from both clinical and non-clinical data. To achieve full integration of SDOH into healthcare true collaboration among clinical and social entities are a necessary step in redefining how healthcare serves its people.

Today, Screening for social determinants of health(SDOH)is increasingly done in primary and specialty care settings. Payers and health care organizations have recognized the importance of these determinants not just to clinical outcomes but also to cost and use of services. Toward that end, both clinical and financial cases have been made for an expanded focus on SDOH for many, if not all, patients. However, a part from system challenges, one of the biggest challenges that this will have moving forward towards patient populations is one of ethics and the acceptance of appropriate standardization processes and guidelines. Some SDOH is driven by complex social and structural factors, such as racism immigration status, and may be difficult to describe in a diagnostic construct such as ICD-10.

Creating a “perfect” bridge between the medical and social construct specifically for an individual is not an easy feat oftentimes burdened with gaining access to information deemed more sensitive that individuals would want to share in an office visit. Health has deep roots in communities, non-healthcare institutions, policies, and social hierarchies such as those posed by race, class, and gender. Quantifying that complexity is difficult and needs cooperation from these organizations. When asked which non-medical barriers to care or health the respondents’ organizations plan to act on in the next year, Nearly two-thirds (63.7%) of respondents named care coordination, a traditional companion service to direct medical care, as a key to overcoming barriers. It is important to note in order to achieve full integration of SDOH into healthcare to overcome ethical barriers, compliance, and social constructs true collaboration and partnership among entities serviced by individuals are a necessary step in redefining how healthcare cares for the people it is intended to serve.

You can read the complete journal about the intersection of Blockchain and SDOH at here

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DApps Partners Patients Public Health

Patientory Partnership with Trialscope

We’re super excited to announce that Patientory is now partnered with Trialscope, a company that transforms trials through transparency.

TrialScope unlocks clinical trials access to patients for Pharmaceutical Companies. TrialScope is the most widely adopted clinical trials transparency platform, supported by leading subject-matter experts, TrialScope offers technologies and partnership unprecedented in the industry.

The Patientory partnership with Trialscope will bring the best solutions and patient populations together to accelerate the clinical trial process. Patientory users will receive first-hand access to cutting edge clinical trials. 

About Trialscope:

TrialScope unlocks clinical trial data superpowers. The TrialScope Transparency CloudTM makes centralizing, structuring and activating clinical trial information simple, for use across the organization and at every stage of the study. Our integrated platform is used by 16 of the top 20 clinical trial sponsors in the world, who rely on TrialScope to ensure disclosure compliance, maximize trial transparency, improve patient engagement and accelerate study recruitment. To learn more, visit TrialScope.com

About Patientory:

Patientory empowers healthcare systems, providers, and consumers with a single, secure application for sharing healthcare data, providing unprecedented insight into each patient’s health and resulting in better, healthier outcomes.  Patientory’s applications provide increased insight into an individual’s health management and empowers people to make better decisions, coordinate between care providers, and receive better care overall.

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Events Nasa

NASA iTech Selects 10 Presenters for Virtual Ignite the Night

 

NASA iTech selected 10 entrepreneurs with technical solutions that address challenges on Earth and also have potential space applications to present at NASA iTech’s virtual Ignite the Night. These 10 presenters have the opportunity to showcase their technology’s abilities to NASA’s Center Chief Technologist, investors and industry members. NASA iTech’s virtual Ignite the Night will take place online on Wednesday, April 22, at 2:00 p.m. EDT.

Innovators presenting (in alphabetic order): Aris MD from Edmonton, Canada; Dimer UVC Innovations from Los Angeles, California; iFirst Medical Technologies, Inc. from Honolulu, Hawaii; Marie, Inc. from Crofton, Maryland; One Milo from Miami, Florida; organic NANO from Monroe, Louisiana; Patientory Inc. from Atlanta, Georgia; Qntfy from Arlington, Virginia; Steelhead Composites from Morrison, Colorado; and Tevosol from Houston, Texas.

“NASA iTech continues to be a catalyst for the government, small businesses and industry investors by finding ways, even if it’s virtual, to connect some of the most innovative entrepreneurs developing technologies that are impacting everyday lives ” said Kira Blackwell, NASA iTech program executive in the Space Technology Mission Directorate (STMD) at NASA Headquarters in Washington, D.C. “During this challenging time, it’s encouraging to see that entrepreneurs are continuing to provide cutting-edge solutions all across the world.”

The top innovator from Ignite the Night earns a position as one of the 25 semifinalists for the current cycle. As a semifinalist, their technology will be evaluated and has a chance to be selected as one of the top 10 finalists to present at the 2020 NASA iTech Cycle II Forum in Tinton Falls, New Jersey.

NASA iTech is an initiative by NASA’s Space Technology Mission Directorate and is managed by the National Institute of Aerospace (NIA) in Hampton, Virginia.

For information about the NASA iTech initiative, visit:

www.nasaitech.org

For information about NASA’s Space Technology Mission Directorate, visit:

www.nasa.gov/directorates/spacetech/home

Categories
Coronavirus Covid-19 Healthcare Providers Patients Public Health

Coronavirus disease (COVID-19) MythBusters

Coronavirus disease (COVID-19) is an infectious disease caused by a novel coronavirus.

The disease causes respiratory illness (like the flu) with symptoms such as a cough, fever, and in more severe cases, difficulty breathing. You can protect yourself by washing your hands frequently, avoiding touching your face, and avoiding close contact (1 meter or 3 feet) with people who are unwell. 

WHO Health Alert for coronavirus launches on WhatsApp

To increase access to reliable information, WHO worked with WhatsApp and Facebook to launch a new WHO Health Alert messaging service. The WhatsApp-based service will provide vital information about COVID-19 to millions of people through their mobile phones. The services use an AI chatbot to provide updated information on the pandemic, including how to protect yourself, questions and answers, and the latest news and press coverage. 

The Health Alert service is now available in English and will be introduced in other languages this coming week. This is part of WHO’s a wider initiative to work with technology companies to get accurate health information into the hands of people that need it at this critical time.

Get WhatsApp Updates

Most importantly, we hope that you and your family are safe and remain healthy.

Please consult a doctor if you experience serious symptoms for the disease otherwise stay home and stop the spread.

Here is a list of statements intended to dispel myths about the COVID-19 disease: 

  1. From the evidence so far, the COVID-19 virus can get transmitted everywhere, including hot and humid areas.
  2. Hand dryers and hot baths cannot kill the virus; nor will standing in the sun
  3. Drinking lots of water will not flush out the virus. Eating ice cream won’t freeze the virus either
  4. The virus cannot be transmitted through mosquito bites
  5. Cleaning your nose with soap or sanitizer will not kill the virus
  6. Spraying yourself with or drinking alcohol will not kill the virus
  7. Having lots of vitamin and herbal supplements might build immunity, but will not protect you from getting infected
  8. Holding your breath for 10 seconds without coughing is not a way to confirm whether or not you are infected with COVID-19. The test needs to be done by a medical practitioner. Results take 24 hours
  9. There is no scientific evidence to suggest that cow urine or crushed bull horn can protect a person from the virus.
  10. Flu vaccines do not protect against COVID-19
Categories
Coronavirus Covid-19 Public Health

All About Coronavirus Disease (COVID-19)

Introduction

Coronaviruses are human and animal pathogens. At the end of 2019, a novel coronavirus was identified as the cause of a cluster of pneumonia cases in Wuhan, a city in the Hubei Province of China. It rapidly spread, resulting in an epidemic throughout China, followed by an increasing number of cases in other countries throughout the world. In February 2020, the World Health Organization designated the disease COVID-19, which stands for coronavirus disease in 2019. The virus that causes COVID-19 is a severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2); previously, it was referred to as 2019-nCoV.

Transmission

Understanding of the transmission risk is incomplete. Epidemiologic investigation in Wuhan at the beginning of the outbreak identified an initial association with a seafood market that sold live animals, where most patients had worked or visited and which was subsequently closed for disinfection. However, as the outbreak progressed, person-to-person spread became the main mode of transmission.

Incubation period

The incubation period for COVID-19 is thought to be within 14 days following exposure, with most cases occurring approximately four to five days after exposure.

In a study of 1099 patients with confirmed symptomatic COVID-19, the median incubation period was four days (interquartile range two to seven days).

Steps to Prevention

  • Wash your hands frequently – Regularly and thoroughly clean your hands with an alcohol-based hand rub or wash them with soap and water.
  • Maintain Social Distancing – Maintain at least 1 metre (3 feet) distance between yourself and anyone who is coughing or sneezing.
  • Avoid Touching Eyes, Nose and Mouth – Hands touch many surfaces and can pick up viruses. Once contaminated, hands can transfer the virus to your eyes, nose or mouth.
  • Seek Medical Care Early – If you have a fever, cough and difficulty breathing, seek medical care early. Stay home if you feel unwell. If you have a fever, cough and difficulty breathing, seek medical attention and call in advance.

WHO Health Alert for coronavirus launches on WhatsApp

To increase access to reliable information, WHO worked with WhatsApp and Facebook to launch a new WHO Health Alert messaging service. The WhatsApp-based service will provide vital information about COVID-19 to millions of people through their mobile phones. The services use an AI chatbot to provide updated information on the pandemic, including how to protect yourself, questions and answers, and the latest news and press coverage. 

The Health Alert service is now available in English and will be introduced in other languages this coming week. This is part of WHO’s a wider initiative to work with technology companies to get accurate health information into the hands of people that need it at this critical time.

Get WhatsApp Updates

Most importantly, we hope that you and your family are safe and remain healthy.

Categories
Blockchain HIMSS Summit

HIMSS Australia Digital Health Summit 2019

The HIMSS CXO dialogue series is a series of conversations that bring health leaders together to discuss technology and other developments that affect the health world. Recently, Patientory’s CEO was invited to join in on one of those dialogues, located in Sydney, Australia. The main message the company wanted to carry is the idea of networking patients and how this can be used to create a more efficient health system, specifically focused on cybersecurity.

It may appear to go without saying, but if there is no cybersecurity, digital health simply cannot exist. Health data is intended to be viewed by only a select group of people, and if that cannot be guaranteed, nearly everyone will reject their data going digital. This was the principal message of the most recent HIMSS CXO dialogue. Another one of the messages was that of connected care: the idea that real-time, electronic communication between a patient and healthcare provider will improve levels of health care overall. A third message was interoperability: the practice of standardizing healthcare in electronic form to make the transfer of data for care simpler.

HIMSS members share inefficiencies from lack of cybersecurity, including hijacked defibrillators and manipulated CT images. Those sorts of stories would make anyone raise an eyebrow, but even more begin security lapses can occur.Email is one of the most common ways that cybersecurity can lapse. Sensitive data sent from one provider to another can be intercepted and used in a variety of nefarious ways.

Australia has recently set up an online system, My Health Record, that is going to be a crucial part of their digitization of health care, and so security is even more of an issue there. It will make it easier for patients to access all of their health information, but if it’s not encrypted properly anyone else with a computer and some technical knowledge can see it too. Fitness trackers are becoming more common, and doctors can use the data provided, but the security on them is even more lax than email. The worry is real: ransomware recently took down large swaths of the UK’s NHS system.

It’s not the first time that Patientory has been part of a HIMSS discussion; in February they were part of the HIMSS Blockchain Forum. And not surprisingly, blockchain technology was also part of the solutions discussed at the new dialogue.

Blockchain is not a magic solution to the problem of cybersecurity, but it does make several aspects of it easier. Even if someone somehow hijacked a defibrillator, the blockchain system would identify who did it and when – and none of that could be modified or deleted. Since blockchain notes all changes made in the system, a manipulated CT image wouldn’t be the only one: the original image would be preserved somewhere. The chain itself wouldn’t store any data, but the other systems would be able to use their own storage systems that could be monitored with the chain.

Even with the most optimistic predictions for its use, blockchain is just a tool. If the storage systems mentioned above are poorly designed, the chain can say an image was changed or device tampered with, but won’t have a way to get the image from before or trace how someone tampered with it. The summit aimed to make that a little easier by giving some interoperability standards for providers to follow. If those are adhered to, it’ll make the implementation of the tool all that easier.

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Award W3 Gold Awards

Patientory Website Wins 2019 W3 Gold Awards for Visual Appeal

Good web design is easy to navigate, aesthetically pleasing, and suits the user group and brand of the organization. 

An innovative website encompasses a vast range of features and disciplines in its production and maintenance. The different areas of web design include web graphic design; interface design; authoring, including standardized code; user experience design; and search engine optimization.

About THE W³ AWARDS

The W³ Awards celebrates digital excellence by honoring outstanding Websites, Web Marketing, Video, Mobile Sites/Apps & Social content created by some of the best interactive agencies, designers, and creators worldwide. Simply put, the W³ is the first major web competition to be accessible to the biggest agencies, the smallest firms, and everyone in between. Small firms are as likely to win as Fortune 500 companies and international agencies.

Patientory is proud to have achieved recognition alongside partners the PHA Group.

About Patientory

Patientory empowers healthcare systems, providers, and consumers with a single, secure application for sharing healthcare data, providing unprecedented actionable insight into each patient’s health resulting in better, healthier outcomes. Patientory strives to empower users to make better decisions, coordinate between care providers, and receive better care overall.

Categories
Blockchain DApps Internet Of Things IOT

Blockchain In Internet of Things

Blockchain and Internet of Things (IoT) are both poised to be world-changing technologies, just at the beginning of their adoption curve.

What is the Internet of Things (IoT)?

The internet of things (IoT), is a system of interrelated computing devices, mechanical and digital machines, objects, that are provided with unique identifiers ( UIDs ) and the ability to transfer data over a network without requiring human-to-human or human-to-computer interaction.

The total installed base of the Internet of Things (IoT) connected devices is projected to amount to 75.44 billion worldwide by 2025, a fivefold increase in ten years. 

The IoT, enabled by the already ubiquitous Internet technology, is the next major step in delivering the Internet’s promise of making the world a connected place.

Source: statista.com

 

What is Blockchain?

Blockchain is a distributed database existing on multiple computers at the same time. It is constantly growing as new sets of recordings, or ‘blocks’, are added to it. Each block contains a timestamp and a link to the previous block, so they actually form a chain.

Blockchain in IoT

At the current rate that how technology is evolving, it’s not weird to discuss the potential implementation of blockchain when it comes to connectivity and internet of things. IoT – is not complicated; It’s the concept of connecting any real-world devices to the Internet and devices to each other. The communication between these devices with each other and the internet can be facilitated through blockchain technology. The distributed ledger technology allows for a list of interactions between the devices and the internet. This way, we can keep track of not only which devices interact with each other and the internet, but also what is being done through each interaction. Blockchain is designed as a basis for applications that involve transactions and interactions, so you can see why and how this might help when it comes to IoT.

IoT and blockchain can be used to increase security infrastructure and also used for the extraction and analysis of data.

Conclusion

Blockchain technology is the missing link to settle scalability, privacy, and reliability concerns in the Internet of Things. Blockchain technologies could perhaps be the silver bullet needed by the IoT industry. The decentralized approach would eliminate single points of failure, creating a more resilient ecosystem for devices to run on.

Categories
Blockchain DApps incubator

Patientory joins the Oregon Enterprise Blockchain Venture Studio

We are absolutely thrilled to join the Oregon Enterprise Blockchain Venture Studio, a partnership that will continue to enable us to lead in the growth of proven enterprise blockchain solutions to serve local, national and global healthcare markets.

About OEBVS Program

This year, R/GA Ventures, a subsidiary of consultancy R/GA, announced their 15th tech collaboration studio, with the goal of innovating blockchain technology, as well as create a “blockchain ecosystem” Oregon.

The project will be headquartered at R/GA’s Portland office.

There are six companies participating in this program aim to take advantage of blockchain technology and work in a variety of industries including healthcare, finance, education, and more. 

“​Over the last few years, we have seen blockchain technology evolve from early and sometimes experimental uses to increased adoption at the enterprise level,”​ ​said Stephen Plumlee, Vice Chairman of R/GA and Managing Partner of R/GA Ventures.

Companies in this program are:

  1. Patientory (patientory.com) – Empowers end-users globally with a secure platform to manage and transfer their health data to achieve actionable insights for improved health outcomes and well-being.
  2. Brave (brave.com) – Secure, Fast & Private Web Browser with Adblocker
  3. Chronicled (chronicled.com) – Gives industries and enterprises the tools to build blockchain-powered supply chain ecosystems with built-in trust, automation, and privacy.
  4. Concord (concord.tech) – Concord provides privacy-first data solutions that protect and reward brands and the people they engage with.
  5. Everest (everest.org) – Decentralized platform incorporating a massively scalable payment solution, EverChain, with a multi-currency wallet, EverWallet, and a native biometric identity system, EverID. Everest delivers a complete solution for a new economy.
  6. qiibee (qiibee.com) – With qiibee, businesses around the world can run their loyalty programs on the blockchain.

We’re excited to work with them and hope this will help us to the next step. We will keep you posted on our participation in the Oregon enterprise Blockchain Venture Studio (OEBVS). Stay tuned!

To learn more and stay in the know, visit patientory.com or follow @patientory on Twitter.

About Venture Studio

In 2013, they launched the first R/GA Accelerator out of New York office—going beyond financial capital to provide founders with access to R/GA’s award-winning talent and robust client network. Today, they’re building a history of startup acceleration with a new global model that takes a unique and multidimensional approach to corporate innovation.

About Patientory

Patientory empowers healthcare systems, providers, and consumers with a single, secure application for sharing healthcare data, providing unprecedented insight into each patient’s health and resulting in better, healthier outcomes.  Patientory’s applications provide increased insight into an individual’s health management and empowers people to make better decisions, coordinate between care providers, and receive better care overall.