At ACEP19, the InnovatED area of the Exhibition Hall featured four digital health innovators. InnovatED was sponsored by AngelMD, and these companies participated in a “shark tank” pitch contest. Competition winner, Hippo Health, is focused on increased connectivity between patients and their physicians. DICOM Director increases imaging portability and creates 3D holographic imaging from CT and MRI data, EMBER’s app assists in triaging patients and AmbiHealth is focused on making healthcare data smarter and also with increasing interoperability.
Hippo Health: Enhanced Connection between Patients and Physicians
Hippo Health was founded by Emergency Physicians to increase connectivity between patients and medical practice groups. Their app and web-based platform enhances this connection and coordinates care by facilitating treatment, arranging follow-up care and managing referrals. Hippo Health is currently available in Colorado and is used by both primary physicians and specialists.
Emergency Physicians in this area can use Hippo Health to communicate with physician groups about their patient’s ED visits. Their goal is to enhance communication between both patient and physician and also between physicians who are caring for the same patient, but may be using different EHRs or be part of separate health systems. If you are interested in learning more about Hippo Health, visit their website.
DICOM Director: Increased Image Portability and Holographic Viewing of CTs and MRIs
DICOM Director has two major goals: increase the portability of imaging and enhance the way imaging is displayed. Their application can be used to share imaging studies with any hospital’s PACS server, enabling HIPAA-protected sharing of images and reducing re-imaging. Patients also have the ability to store, access and share their own images. Using their technology, physicians can view 3D holographic renderings of their CTs and MRIs via Virtual Reality or Augmented Reality.
They are able to move, rotate and resize these images to better evaluate the study. Although radiologists will mainly benefit from this enhanced viewing system, the increased portability of images should help Emergency Physicians, particularly when patients being transferred between EDs have already had imaging performed. To learn more, visit DIOCOM Director’s website and check out their product demo.
EmberMed: Improved Triage and Rural Outreach
EMBER’s smartphone app connects patients with physicians to answer that famous question: “Do I need to go to the Emergency Department for this?” For a flat $25 fee, patients are connected via video chat with a Physician or APP. After an initial discussion about the patient’s concerns and symptoms, they are instructed to go to the ED, an Urgent Care or make an appointment to see their primary physician.
Physicians can sign up with EMBER and get paid to perform this telehealth triage with the app. EmberMed is currently available in Egypt and they will launch in the US in 2020 with a focus on rural areas, starting in Louisiana. They are seeking partnerships with academic centers focused on underserved areas. To learn more, visit EMBER’s website and check out both their product demo and their emergency response feature.
AmbiHealth: Smarter Healthcare Data
AmbiHealth is addressing the problem of fragmentation and lack of interoperability of healthcare data. For patients, they provide a free app-based platform that they can use to store their health information including demographic data, medications, allergies and surgical history.
Patients can use the platform to communicate with their primary doctor. They can also use the app to complete forms, coordinate insurance authorization and arrange post-visit planning and discharge instructions. To help emergency physicians, patient information stored in AmbiHealth’s platform can be accessed via a QR code, bracelet or ID card. To learn more, visit AmbiHealth’s website.
