The US government has put together a $2.2 trillion rescue package to prepare the nation for the effects of the novel coronavirus, following the lead of other governments around the world. The $1.5 trillion in funding for fast-growing startups in the US includes the development of digital financial instruments for lending to small businesses, the development and programming of new technologies for developing countries, such as smart hospitals, smart cities, and smart homes. Sources: 2
As scientists and technologists face challenges the world has not seen in centuries, the health and health-technology industries are rising to the challenge and innovating at an astonishing pace. With a host of other projects in motion, here’s a look at some of the most laudable groundbreaking work being done by startups and entrepreneurs in response to COVID-19. The Journal of Delivery Science and Innovation, dedicated to research and development in healthcare, delivery science, and innovation has invited contributions from the public and private sectors as well as from industry and science to multiply the efforts on many fronts with regards to the pandemic, including PPE, filtration, ventilator, and diagnostic technologies. Sources: 1, 2
As the COVID-19 pandemic spreads, health organisations are facing critical challenges related to the provision of care, access to healthcare, and the quality of healthcare. This special issue will focus on how they are developing new ways to make care more efficient, cost-effective, and efficient. Sources: 1
Studies have already shown that tobacco and vape users are more likely to become infected and fight the virus. MindCotine has a rather non-invasive innovation around stopping addictive drugs with the help of virtual reality (VR), and we plan to introduce it completely free of coronavirus pandemics. Sources: 3
IT leaders are driving innovative technology solutions as healthcare systems respond to pandemics. MindCotine is one of the products StartUp Health looks forward to adding to our Health Transformers portfolio. Sources: 0, 3
Geisinger is working on developing a thermal imaging camera that will collate data from the Department of Health’s labs and tell how many people in each county are reporting symptoms of coronavirus cases, Branzell said. Developers are working on a tool that uses the Google Health API to share health data with hospitals and other healthcare providers in the US and Canada. Sources: 0
Almost every country faces enormous challenges in preparing and responding to public health emergencies, and those operating in a resource-constrained environment are likely to be at the forefront. Kravitz said hospitals and emergency rooms need to find ways to better prepare for potential patients who come, especially when operating in a resource-poor environment. Sources: 0, 4
How can the health innovation community best contribute to combating the spread of COVID-19, and how does the US Department of Health support innovation? Sources: 4
Buddy Healthcare wants to help hospitals and medical staff fight the COVID-19 coronavirus. The use of Conversa, a virtual communications platform for care, to trim people in their communities and manage patients. On the same front, Frontive is an outpatient voice skill for Alexa that has had great results with patient adherence and recovery. Sources: 3, 4
BuddyCare, a virtual care platform, can be used to digitize patient data such as blood pressure, heart rate, blood sugar, and blood sugar levels. Sources: 3
Myhelloline is an intervention phone for loneliness, which meets the growing need for isolation of seniors. It’s one of the top apps for health, anxiety, and social isolation.
Now Wysa has created a new way to deal with the pandemic of stress and anxiety in the age of social media, social networking, and the Internet of Things. In order to support health workers in dealing with burnout, they ask everybody to open up their work-life balance to their patients and their families, and by opening them up they hope it helps cope with stress and burnouts. Sources: 3, 4
Penda Health provides comprehensive health services using a patient-centered approach to meet critical outpatient needs at an affordable cost. They are expanding their services, enabling health plans across the country to monitor viral symptoms in real-time while addressing the emerging health needs of their patients and families. Sources: 3, 4
IH innovator GetWellNetwork has responded to the development of COVID-19 by setting up a Readiness Center to help integrate existing and newly developed digital tools for patient care. In addition to these tools, the new website offers tools for scaling information exchange, patient guidance, and relieving the burden on nursing teams. IH’s leading virtual care platform, Connected Care, has dramatically reduced the need for providers to turn to a third-party provider to monitor their patients during a COVID-19 outbreak.
James Fisher, a British defense contractor, specializing in depth-diving equipment has adapted their barimetric treatments to build an innovative ventilator. Named InVicto, the ventilator, that works without electricity and is stronger than most BiPAP alternatives promise to transform care in ICUs across the world during this pandemic.
It is surprising to find that most of the effective innovative solutions now making a difference in hospitals and other medical settings have been invented for the pandemic.
Cited Sources:
- https://www.fiercehealthcare.com/tech/health-system-cios-covid-19-response-we-ve-never-experienced-anything-like 0
- https://www.journals.elsevier.com/healthcare-the-journal-of-delivery-science-and-innovation/call-for-papers/special-call-for-papers-healthcare-delivery-innovation-durin 1
- https://thenextweb.com/podium/2020/03/31/an-entrepreneurs-guide-to-startups-battling-covid-19/ 2
- https://www.startuphealth.com/covid-19-navigator 3
- https://www.innovationsinhealthcare.org/covid-19-innovations-in-healthcare-responds/ 4
