Edward’s family knew in their gut that there was something off. After months of chemotherapy and the fight against his stage 3 throat cancer, the doctors had suggested he try a new biologic. This had shown some success but lately he had become very weak. He had come down with stomach troubles for weeks that were not getting better. Despite many phone calls to the primary care doctor, no one seemed to have any good answers. Only when he started to have multiple bloody stools and he was hospitalized, did he get the right diagnosis. The new biologic had the adverse effects of colitis in some patients- and he was unfortunately one of them, leading to a prolonged stay in the hospital and creating havoc on his frail 81 year old body.
Adverse effects are not uncommon for many treatments used in cancer therapy . But could have there been a way to shorten the delay in Edwards diagnosis? What if patients who have similar diagnosis are put in touch with each other so that they can share stories, essentially ‘crowdsourcing’ symptoms? This could potentially lead to a shortened timeline, and possible earlier intervention.
Innovation in health and AI enhancement, have the potential to make this a reality. One such company with a vision of better and quicker diagnosis through connection and AI is BandHealth. Taking a page from online dating apps, this company matches patients on similar characteristics such as age, gender, geography, symptoms and diagnosis to create community sharing of information. Zach Gotlib and Jared Firestone, co-founders, created this vision from their own experiences. Zach needed multiple surgeries as a young man, initially having open heart surgery at the age of 20 for a congenital heart condition. 6 years later, he found himself back again in the doctors office being told that his life would be altered again due to a debilitating orthopedic injury requiring multiple surgeries. In chronic pain, he reached out to the internet for peer support but found very few solutions to turn to, for that connection. He was lost, afraid and alone. From these tough life events, he decided to help others- by building a program that could make a difference to a patient, by building connections.
133 million people have chronic disease currently with a forecast of this being 230 million by 2030. And not being socially connected can raise the likelihood of not only being readmitted, but suffering from premature heart disease and stroke. BandHealth has already made significant headway engaging non profits such as the Mended Hearts, SCAD Alliance and Triage Health and in next steps, hopes to collaborate with hospitals to help patients navigate their pre and post hospital journeys with a community that shares similar diagnoses.
“People facing health challenges are often dealing with some of the hardest times in their lives. Our goal is to make sure they know they are not alone. The only way to do that is to connect with others who they have a lot in common with, and who truly understand. By connecting people based on more than just health concern, we allow people to feel more comfortable sharing about what they are going through, and when people can share more freely, they receive a lot in return,” said Mr Gotlib.
Another such company to empower patients and in the process, address the issue of rural disparities is Sanguina and their AnemoCheck platform for anemia management. Getting a lab test for a patient who has anemia is often time consuming. Anemia can lead to fatigue, low energy and in severe cases, cardiovascular collapse. Driving to the doctor to get a prescription for lab work, then going to a lab to get it and then waiting for days to get results can drag out the diagnosis and treatment. With 1.6 billion affected worldwide and 80 million at high risk in the US, expediting this is essential. Health care deserts in the rural United States require solutions that enables patient centric diagnostics for both preventative health and chronic disease management. Sanguina is positioned to unlock this.
Erika Tyburski, the founder of Sanguina, suffered from iron deficiency anemia herself. It was difficult to know whether the fatigue was from the anemia or from other health issues and she struggled constantly. Creating a home use test kit and smartphone app for tracking was a vision that aims to help expedite care for millions, many of whom live in rural areas. With these accessible tools, the patient is active in achieving an earlier diagnosis or detection, improving access to care. Her hope is to make the technologies available in rural areas, point-of-care settings, complementary companies, to standalone clinics, grocery pharmacies and via partnerships with telehealth companies. Specifically, clinician oversight via telehealth has the ability to offer diagnosis, consultation and treatment, if necessary, providing on demand care, improving outcomes.
Another urgent health issue that can benefit from a patient centric approach is pregnancy and post-partum care. Maternal morbidity and mortality in the US has been continuing to rise and we rank lower than many developing countries in this area.
This is personal for Mohamed Kamara, who lost his sister to pregnancy hemorrhage and his aunt to preeclampsia. A lack of a health support system was a key element and through his shock and grief, Mohamed resolved to make a difference to other women so that their families would not suffer. Via an easily accessible app, he ties together the elements of technology and human interaction for a holistic medical care and support system. Virtual touchpoints, wearable data that is transmitted directly into the patient record and access to doulas and community connections, are just some of the elements of this groundbreaking ecosystem that surrounds maternal care from pregnancy to delivery. An example of how this type of platform has helped is the 18-year-old Hispanic pregnant patient, who, due to financial duress could not get to her prenatal appointments. But through the InovCares app and the transportation option, arranged a 40-minutes drive which allowed her to get to her , and visit and afterwards, reach home safely. Another patient, a 25-year-old African American patient, was treated over the InovCares telehealth video consultation for nausea and vomiting, arranged by her Doula via a text message. With a pivotal study launched recently with BlueCross BlueShield of Texas, HHM Health (an FQHC in Dallas, Texas) & Brownsville Community Health Center (an FQHC in South, Texas) and Holy Family Services (a birth center in South, Texas), Mr Kamara, the CEO and Founder of InovCares states ‘ I hope to empower patients and optimize care for every mother by surrounding her with the many aspects of care that she needs.”
Patient centric care and bridging the gaps in our healthcare system are essential for better outcomes, and to address disparities. Artificial intelligence, real time data, technology and better connectivity between people and the health systems that currently exist, may hold these keys. Certainly there is optimism for the future as passionate founders and CEOs make impact for better health for many of us.
Maternal morbidity and mortality continue to be a healthcare challenge in the U.S.
