Combining patient data from multiple providers and personal records that can be accessed by emergency staff when users are unconscious were among the winners of the Blue Button Plus challenge. The innovation competition held by the Office of National Coordinator for Health IT is part of a drive to help consumers gain online access to their health records.
GenieMD, Humetrix and Hint Health took the top spots in the challenge to create apps to help consumers view their personal health records on mobile devices and desktop computers.
This week the ONC called attention to a portal it’s developing to help users locate providers and health plans that offer Blue Button. Blue Button Connect is expected to go live next year.
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Led by founder and CEO Soheil Saadat, GenieMD’s app combined patient-entered data, data from smart devices, and content from Harvard Health Publications. It also has a symptom checker, drug interaction alert and search function to find pharmacies and providers.
Humetrix added an emergency function in case the user’s health information needs to be looked up when he or she is unconscious. Called “In Case of Emergency” or ICE, it can be accessed by emergency medical staff through a QR code. An app for iOS-supported devices is scheduled to hit the market in mid-October.
Blue Button Plus helps providers meet the requirements of Meaningful Use Stage 2 by helping consumers view, download, and transmit their personal health record in a structured and secure format.
[Photo from flickr user Karen Cousins]