Dublin startup accelerator HealthXL will be swinging by Minneapolis Tuesday in its global hunt for 10 companies/entrepreneurs whose technological ideas have the potential to disrupt the world of healthcare.
Twelve teams, mostly from the U.S., but two from Australia and Canada, will present to a group of “mentors” in the hopes of being selected. HealthXL has already heard presentations from entrepreneurs in London and Dublin, and will make its final selection such that the 10 teams selected can relocate to Dublin in time for the 12-week program that kicks of Feb. 26. The event, being hosted by IBM and Novartis, will take place at Worrell Design.
Here are a few teams that will present Tuesday in the hopes of being chosen by the Irish accelerator:
Being able to identify a person and know his or her medical history is crucial in caring for a trauma victim, but in many cases people come into the ER without proper identification. This startup wants to eliminate any John Doe scenario in the emergency room. Individuals can create a free Alert.MD account and get a unique ID. That identification number holds the key not only to the person’s emergency contact but also medical history. That identification number can be saved along with a picture of the user’s choice as a screen saver or background on a mobile device. In an emergency, medical professionals would be able to get that unique ID number to retrieve relevant information about the patient.
CareTree wants to create an online community of caregivers, family members and service providers who can “keep each other in the loop.” The startup has tiered pricing plans for people depending on the amount of data they want to share.
A Deep-dive Into Specialty Pharma
A specialty drug is a class of prescription medications used to treat complex, chronic or rare medical conditions. Although this classification was originally intended to define the treatment of rare, also termed “orphan” diseases, affecting fewer than 200,000 people in the US, more recently, specialty drugs have emerged as the cornerstone of treatment for chronic and complex diseases such as cancer, autoimmune conditions, diabetes, hepatitis C, and HIV/AIDS.
This Canadian software company aims to help healthcare providers follow the latest guidelines in caring for a patient. The technology is integrated with a hospital’s electronic health records so that providers get real-time guidelines about a condition from within the patient’s electronic health record.
MyFitnessWallet is targeted toward people who want to track calories consumed as well as provide advice on the type of workout most appropriate for them along with other relevant information.
This startup is putting a twist on the old health-is-wealth adage by providing a “360-degree view into your healthcare finances.” The startup bills itself as the first free “personal healthcare planning solution” that can provide a single sign-on to all healthcare accounts, provide healthcare financial history and also optimize insurance among other features.
Other companies presenting are BioBright, VaporWire, a health and wellness startup; perkhealth.me, a wellness program that aims to get people active; goACT, a software company based in Australia for mental health professionals and MotionCare360, a digital rehabilitation company that has developed motion therapy protocols for use at home or at a clinic to help victims of stroke or other conditions recover their mobility; and Avril Copeland, a physiotherapist and founder of HealthRX based in Ireland.
