A first-responder team responds to a 911 call to find an unresponsive victim. They scan the QR code on the person’s phone or card and get information volunteered by the patient when they registered such as underlying conditions, medications he or she is taking and allergies. That was the winning idea for the second Startup Weekend Health held in Philadelphia.
The idea behind the QR code scan is that it would be a personalized system to reduce the risk of medical errors by avoiding medication or treatment that could conflict with medication the patient is taking, preexisting conditions or allergies. It would also simultaneously alert emergency contacts through a text message
The QR code is part of an enterprise solution that will be offered to health plans. David Bendell, the team leader of In Case of Emergency (mICE), pitched the idea Friday night. Forty-eight hours later, a seven-member team that included bioengineers, software developers, and a pharmacy and a nursing school student put the technology and business plan together, condensed the information into the kind of pitch that leaves listeners wondering how we’ve managed so long without it. The group also developed an app that allows users to send an SOS message to various contacts.
The team’s prize is securing an interview with DreamIt Health for its four-month accelerator to be housed at Venturef0rth, which hosted the Startup Weekend. Runners-up got an extension on the application deadline.
Bendell and lead developer Tanvir Aslam, both international students, said it could be a bittersweet victory if they can’t secure full-time jobs before their visas expire in May.
The concept of an emergency QR code for individuals is one that’s been evolving in the healthcare industry. Code Amber Alertag has a similar idea but markets directly to consumers. Lifesquare also has been developing a QR code system.
An idea for a radiology platform that provides a multilingual service for second opinions came in second. Radiologist Jose Morey’s US Med Experts is building a group of radiologists through medical societies like the American Board of Radiology to provide personalized interpretations of X-rays and scans. In a short demo, a radiologist discusses an X-ray, circling areas of concern and detailing his assessment.
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.
A group called KnowMe led by Kerry McLaughlin developed a personalized care system for nursing homes to drive patient satisfaction and help nursing homes to more competitively recruit members. Caregivers enter personal information about their likes and dislikes, and nursing home staff track their emotional and physical status to avoid stress, falls and other adverse events as well as.
An idea for using data analytics to provide regional listings for in vitro fertilization clinics got the audience’s vote. InfoVitro rates the clinics based on outcomes for various conditions and the person’s age with results presented in order of the rating. It includes the Web address, estimated price and location for each clinic.
Last year, Startup Weekend Health produced a service to help users rapidly find local alternatives to the emergency room. QuickSeeMD led by Lon Hecht received a $50,000 grant to develop his idea. It also won an innovation challenge run by Independence Blue Cross over the summer and is working with the insurer to develop the service into a product.
