There are few prominent companies that are remarkably transforming the diagnostics industry with their innovative tools, technologies, and techniques and taking us closer to personalized healthcare. In our special issue of “10 Leading Diagnostic Solution Providers 2019”, we have featured top diagnostic companies that have not only enabled correct detection of diseases but have aided in early diagnosis and are contributing largely to the better tomorrow of healthcare.

1. www.insightscare.com
May 2019
Vol. 5 / Issue-1
Empowering Providers through
Point-of-care Testing
Robert Huffstodt
President & CEO
10 Leading
Diagnostic
Solution
Providers 2019

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May, 2019
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Reprint rights remain solely with Insights Success.
Editor-in-Chief Pooja M. Bansal
Senior Editor Anish Miller
Managing Editor Ashwini S. Deshpande
Executive Editor Aishwarya Nawandhar
Contributing Editors Sayali Rane, Sneha Sinha
Visualiser David King
Art & Design Head Amol Kamble
Art & Design Assistant Poonam Mahajan
Co-designer Paul Belin
Art & Picture Editor Rahul Kavanekar
Business Development Manager Peter Collins
Marketing Manager Marry D'Souza
Business Development Executive Mark Williams
Sales Executives Amy, John, Bill, Sarah
Technical Head JacobSmile
Assistant Technical Head Pratiksha Patil
Technical Consultants David, Robert
Digital Marketing Manager Alina Sege
Assistant Digital Marketing Manager PrashantChevale
SME-SMO Executives Manoj, Gemson, Uma
Research Analyst EricSmith
Circulation Manager Tanaji

5. Future of
Medical
Diagnosis -
Going
Molecular!
Editor’s Column
iagnosis is a very crucial part of the treatment of any
health related disorder. Without proper diagnosis,
Dreaching the real problem is very difficult and guesswork
based treatment methodology in the medical field can sometimes
be very dangerous. The field of diagnostics is advancing and
many new techniques have come up that are taking us towards
precision medicine and patient personalized solutions. The
technique that has grabbed a lot of attention in the last few years
is molecular diagnostics. In simple terms, it means the analyzing
of a patient is done at molecular level. Molecular diagnostics
involve examination of the biological markers in a person’s
genome (genetic code), testing of DNA/RNA sequences for
identification of the disease, cellular testing, etc.
It allows the detection of pathogens in a human body as well as
genetic testing. In pathogen detection, molecular diagnosis
searched for signs of pathogen-derived nucleic acids in the
patients and hence, helps identify the infection. In genetic testing,
mutation of the cells, genetic disorders, chronic diseases, etc. can
be diagnosed. Molecular diagnostics can truly revolutionize care
by helping us move towards accuracy and personalized medicine.
Molecular diagnostics field has seen rapid and large growth in the
past few years and it is predicted that it will continue to do so
further. This owes to the advantages it brings, which include
accurate, analytically sensitive, and fast detection as well as
monitoring of a number of diseases. Today, there are various tools
and technologies available for this and it doesn’t stop here, there
is so much more to explore. Molecular diagnostics has not just
enabled disease characterization, but it goes a step ahead and has
enabled patient characterization.
Used particularly in the fields of oncology, infectious diseases,
and congenital abnormalities, clinical pathology at the molecular
level is improving patient monitoring and management. In 2017,
the global market for molecular diagnostics was reported to be
valued at $7.5 billion and this is expected to go up to $15.6 billion
by 2024. With new infection and chronic diseases coming up
every day, it has emerged to a very important revolution in
healthcare. Molecular diagnostics has the potential to aid early
detection and diagnosis of diseases as deadly as cancer and the
further advancements in this field comes with a promise of a
better tomorrow!
Editor

6. he first step to treating any health condition is diagnosis. If not diagnosed rightly, a patient may not
Treceive the needed effective treatment on time and this can lead to major complications in the
future. The significance of correct diagnosis is taught to every medical student from the very start.
Today, healthcare is moving towards personalized medicines and correct detection of the ailment is the
key to reach there. Although it is very important to focus on this segment of the care industry, only two to
three percent of the total healthcare resources are spent on diagnosis, according to a qualified report.
There are few prominent companies that are remarkably transforming the diagnostics industry with their
innovative tools, technologies, and techniques and taking us closer to personalized healthcare. In our
special issue of “10 Leading Diagnostic Solution Providers 2019”, we have featured top diagnostic
companies that have not only enabled correct detection of diseases but have aided in early diagnosis and
are contributing largely to the better tomorrow of healthcare.
Featured on the cover of this issue is PTS Diagnostics. It is revolutionizing the diagnostic industry by
innovating point-of-care with people, technology, and service.
Other than the insightful cover story, we have also featured the top industry leaders dedicated to provide
enhanced diagnostic care to all. These include BioDirection, a medical device company that develops
state-of-the-art point-of-care products to manage traumatic brain injuries and concussions; Biolumo that is
focused on developing a set of tools for fast and inexpensive antibiotic resistance detection; Colorimetrix,
which develops testing applications that turn smartphones into portable labs, enabling the semi-
quantitative measurement of diagnostic tests at home; Genomic Expression, a leading organization that
sequences RNA to identify the best drug for the patient and the best patient for the drug; MedCloud, a
patient-centered platform for diagnosis, focused on simplifying test management in all its phases; Exagen
Diagnostics; GeneNews; IR2Dx; and NHG Diagnostics.
Apart from this, the issue also incorporates an ingenious article from Tania Martin-Mercado, the Chief
Technology Officer of YGEIA, as well as a few interesting articles from our in-house editors.
So, walk through the pages and enjoy a good read!
TheIndustryLeaders
Transformingthe
Diagnostic Space

8. NTENCO
08
PTS Diagnostics
Empowering Providers
through Point-of-care Testing
Adroit Outlook
What Digital Startups Need
to Succeed in the Healthcare
Space?
28
Cover Story

9. TS ARTICLES
Editor’sAngle
Never Miss aDose:
MedicationApps22
Industry Trends
Recent Advancements
in Diagnostic Industry 40
BioDirection
Unlocking the Power of
Nanotechnology to
Address TBI
Colorimetrix
Bringing Lab Diagnostic
Tools to the Hands of
Everyone
Biolumo
Delivering a Fast Point-
of-care Antibiotics
Selection Tool
Medcloud
Centralizing Data for
Decentralizing Care
Genomic Expression
Improving Care andSaving
Lives
16
20
26
36
32

10. COVERSTORY
Robert Huffstodt
President&CEO

11. PTS
Diagnostics
EmpoweringProvidersthrough
Point-of-careTesting

12. The healthcare industry is in a
period of transition both
domestically and globally. This
is driven by a host of factors from
legislation and regulation to the growth
of populations with chronic health
conditions such as diabetes. Thesearch
for adaptive solutions is intense, and
the pressure on companies and
organizations to innovate and bring
new, high-quality solutions to market
quickly is strong.
One of the key challenges for
healthcare solutions providers, is to
develop products and programs that
help address the growing demand for
chronic disease management in a way
that increases efficiency, lowers costs,
and increases patient satisfaction. PTS
Diagnostics, a provider of state-of-the-
art point-of-care testing solutions is
rising to the challenge.
Through the company’s commitment
to customer focus, innovative
technology, and adherence to robust
quality standards, they have
established themselves as a leader in
the manufacture of fast, accurate, and
portable point-of-care testing devices.
And, they have recently begun building
more on that strong foundation with
PreVantageTM
, a suite of products,
holding on to its identity and its
reputation for quality service. It fought
against all odds to find its place in the
market, and managed to get where it is
now through perseverance and angel
investments.
“I’m immensely proud of this,” asserts
CEO Robert Huffstodt.
Passionate Leadership
PTS Diagnostics is led by President
and CEO Robert Huffstodt, he is a
Notre Dame graduate with a
background in finance.
He considers himself very lucky to
have had the opportunity to lead a
number of organizations early in his
career. Being assigned the task of
conducting financial audits for startups
and smaller companies helped him
gain a thorough understanding of what
made these organizations tick.
“When I moved out of public
accounting and into the private world,
I again found myself at a startup. It
was here where a mentor gave me the
opportunity to dip my toe into every
discipline, from sales calls to factory
management,” he says. This gave him
a flavor of what it was like to run a
whole business from top to bottom and
has directly contributed to his success
with PTS Diagnostics.
Huffstodt has also always had an
affinity for international business. This
has served him well as the receptivity
The industry is ina
period of transition,both
domestically and
worldwide. Weare
transforming along with
the industry
“
“
strategies, and
partnerships aimed at
helping healthcare
providers thrive in a
rapidly changing
industry.
Humble Roots
Headquartered in
Indianapolis, Indiana,
with major operation
centers in Sunnyvale,
California, PTS Diagnostics was
founded in 1992 by an individual who
had been affected by diabetes. As a
patient, he saw how small, portable
glucose meters could quickly and
conveniently measure blood glucose
levels. He soon realized that there was
an unmet market need for a similar
device that could that could measure a
number of additional chronic disease
risk indicators, such as blood
cholesterol and ketone levels.
In its early days, PTS Diagnostics was
a one-man shop, run out of the
founder’s home. Within a couple of
years, enough angel funding was raised
to move to a business building and hire
additional people. In 1997, the
company moved to its current location,
where more office and lab space was
gradually added over the next 25 years
as the company grew.
In 2013, PTS Diagnostics acquired
A1CNow®
from Bayer. In 2016, it was
acquired by its current parent
company, Sinocare.
The company has now
expanded to such an extent
that it has outgrown its
current location, and will
move into a brand new,
145,000 square-foot facility
in the Spring of 2019.
Over the years, the company
placed a great deal of focus on
growth and profitability, while

13. to PTS Diagnostics’ products in dozens
of markets around the world has
continued to grow.
On the personal side, Huffstodt has a
passion for music, art, and architecture.
These interests have inspired him to
create an environment within the
company’s new global headquarters
that is conducive to creativity and
innovation.
People, Technology, and Service
The company’s name represents the
three pillars upon which it has built its
long-term success: People,
Technology, and Service.
‘People’ starts in-house with the skills,
talents, and energy of PTSDiagnostics’
global employees and partners. It
extends to its strongly-held value of
providing high-quality service, person
to person. That’s why the company
intends to always have real humans
answering its calls. “It sends the signal
that we’re approachable and are about
people,” says Huffstodt.
‘Technology’ points to the company’s
innovative products and solutions. PTS
Diagnostics integrates old technology
and new technology to develop
products that are accurate, reliable, and
easy to use. Huffstodt says, “We’re not
trying to release new updates just
because we can. Pairing well-tested
elements with modern updates that we
believe in allows us to have the best of
both worlds.” Since PTS Diagnostics
has been focused on perfecting its craft
instead of always rushing to the newest
thing, many of its technologies and
products have stood the test of time.
‘Service’ also has a dual meaning.
Internally, the company prizes
excellent service provided among
departments and employees, but it
takes particular pride in the level it
service it strives to provide to the
customer, which ranges from training
to logistics and other elements
of its business. As thecompany
moves beyond its products, and
toward more comprehensive
services and solutions with
PreVantage, service will take
on yet another level of
significance.
Flagship Products
PTS Diagnostics’ signature products
include the CardioChek®
analyzer and
the A1CNow®
test system . Both
products stand out in the market by
being incredibly portable, efficient, and
accurate. They also recently launched
PreVantage which aims to enhance
those products with added
convenience, connectivity, and
extended service features.
With PreVantage, CardioChek and
A1CNow are not mere devices—they
are part of a solutions package that
links to Electronic Medical Record
(EMR) systems, which are the
backbone of many of todays’
healthcare organizations. The bundled
PreVantage product and connectivity
offerings are intended to help
healthcare organizations transition
from Fee for Service payment models
to Value-Based Payment models.
Other products
The company also offers the PTS
DetectTM
cotinine system, PTS
CollectTM
capillary tubes, and PTS
ConnectTM
solutions.
PTS Detect
cotinine is the
first and only
quantitative
tobacco-detection
system that can
measure exact
cotinine levels
from a simple
fingerstick. PTS
Collect capillary
tubes brought
new new
technology and innovation to blood
collection. And, PTSConnect ProLink
and PTSConnect ScreenPro simplify
point-of-care health data collection and
transfer for health and wellness
companies, retail clinics, and urgent
care centers.
What Sets PTS Diagnostics Apart
The creative business approaches and
the collaborative spirit behind PTS
Diagnostics are what allows it to work
with partners all over the world and
continue to grow year after year.
The company is also unusual in that it
has succeeded largely on its own,
without venture capital or a large
benefactor. It has bootstrapped itself on
angel money, survived, and thrived.
The history and background of the
company has placed it in a unique
position to serve new healthcare
delivery and payment systems. PTS
Diagnostics envisions becoming a
“
“The growth of our
organization will comefrom
organic growth in our
markets, expansion of
product offerings, broader
menus, and more

14. Westrivetobeinnovativeinour
businessmodelsandpractices,as
wellasourproducts,andtocreate
asituationwhereeverybodywins,
from the employees and internal
stakeholders to our business
partners, to end users, patients,
andsocietyatlarge
“
“

15. global leader in providing innovative, point-of-care
products and services that aid healthcare providers in their
preventative healthcare and chronic disease management
efforts.
Other factors that set PTS Diagnostics apart from its
competitors are its size, its promptness, and its
resourcefulness. As a company, PTS is the right size to
provide customers with flexibility and personalized service.
“We’re not so big as to be rigid, ponderous, and slow to
react, on the other hand, we’re not so small as to have too
limited of resources” Huffstodt says. “Service and going the
extra mile make us stand out.”
An Insight into ‘Product Training’
PTS has a multitude of tools that enhance its training
process for both professional and home users “We have a
range of options available and we don’t pigeonhole
customers into methods that are unconducive to their
learning style or schedule,” says Huffstodt. He continues,
“For us as a company, the realization of how important that
was a watershed moment.”
Notable Awards & Accreditations
In addition to its numerous product accreditations, PTS
Diagnostics has earned recognition for its unique product
offerings and continued success. In addition to being listed
as one of Inc. Magazine’s 5,000 Fastest Growing
Companies six times, the company has also been featured
on the Today Show, Doctor Oz, and other similar programs
abroad.
Disrupting the Point-of-Care Solution Industry
One of the biggest disruptions to the healthcare industry in
recent years has been the shift in reimbursement models in
the United States, specifically the moving away from fee-
for-service models toward value-based models that pay
based on the efficiency and effectiveness of care. PTS
Diagnostics has recognized that outcomes are the new
income™ and has the right products mix of product
offerings and industry partners to help healthcare
organizations make a positive impact on value-based
payment objectives.
The portability and ease-of-use of PTS Diagnostics’
products also position them well to help retail pharmacies,
urgent care centers, and community health centers offer
lipid panel and A1C wellness testing in a way that often
more convenient for patients.
Future of PTS Diagnostics
The company is currently in a period of multiple
simultaneous transitions. The first is the building of a new
headquarters which will be completed in the second quarter
of 2019. The launch of PreVantage solutions is also
underway and is continuing to grow and evolve as a product
offering and business model. And, new technological
innovations are also in the pipeline.
“We certainly believe that we’ll see double digit growth for
the foreseeable future,” asserts Huffstodt.
profitablegrowthwhile
maintainingourfocuson
providingproductsandservices
thatbenefittheconstituents
“Wewanttoachieveconsistent
“

18. Relentless innovation
“for improving the diagnosis
and management of TBI is
what drives us. We are
dedicated to improving
treatment plans andsaving
more and more lives
-Sharad Joshi
President & CEO
“
16 / MAY 2019 /

19. BioDirectionUnlocking the Power of
Nanotechnology to Address TBI
raumatic Brain Injuries (TBI) and sports related concussions have become very common
and are increasing at an alarming rate. There is an enormous unmet global market need
Tto take care of up to $10 Billion Traumatic Brain Injuries (TBI). CDC estimates the
direct or indirect cost spent on treatment of these concussions to be greater than $76 Billion in
the US alone. Over 75 percent of TBI are classified as mild traumatic brain injuries while 90
percent of the people with concussions never lose consciousness. There is a lack of an objective
point-of-injury (POI) or point-of-care (POC) test. TBI testing today is symptomatic diagnosis,
which has a high error rate and is not at all definitive. This is where BioDirection, Inc. steps in
and has the potential to manage the diagnosis in a specific and timely fashion.
BioDirection is a privately held medical device company developing cutting-edge and rapid
point-of-care or point-of-injury products for the objective diagnosis and management of
concussion and other traumatic brain injury (TBI). It is leveraging the power of nanotechnology
to address the rapid and definitive diagnosis of TBI.
BioDirection Tbit™ System
The company’s first product Tbit™ System is a whole blood POC or POI test platform for
traumatic brain injury. It is rapid and affordable test that generates a result in less than two
minutes from a single drop of blood. The system measures targeted brain biomarkers released
from the brain following a head trauma or jolt to the body.
The platform is easy-to-use, portable and low-cost system (affordable), it consists of two
components: tabletop or handheld analyzer and a single-use, disposable sensor cartridge. The
disposable sensor drives significant revenue – razor blade annuity. Tbit™ System has the
potential to generate a high margin business with strong cash flow.
BioDirection has exclusive, global rights to a Harvard generated patent portfolio for acquired
brain injury and Sepsis plus extensive nano-wire based biosensor design or manufacturing
know-how. The system is based on design of nanowire biosensor produced from nanowires. A
single nanowire is 1/10,000 of a human hair. Tbit™ System offers ultra-sensitivity and
specificity.
/ MAY 2019/ 17

20. It uses the selected GFAP and S100b as initial targeted
biomarkers; these are clinically validated over 50-60 years
as acute biomarkers for TBI. S100b is approved as a screen
to CT in over 20 countries world-wide outside of USA.
Tbit™ System is a flexible and versatile platform and is not
biomarker dependent and readily adaptable to new
biomarkers. It has full multiplexing functionality, capable
of measuring 2, 3, 5, 10 or more biomarkers
simultaneously. It is a game changing technology and the
company is targeting market entry late Q1 2020.
The Outstanding Leadership
Sharad Joshi, the President and CEO at BioDirection is a
dynamic leader who fosters a mission-centric, fun, and
collaborative environment. He holds B.Sc (Mechanical
Engineering) degree with a Pre-Med minor from
Northeastern University and graduated cum laude with an
MBA from Babson College in Wellesley, MA.
He has over three decades of experience in the medical
device field including management positions as CEO,
President, & COO, Marketing, International Sales,
Engineering, among other executive positions. He has also
been the inventor and author of numerous patents and
publications. Sharad has also served as a business advisor
or technical consultant at various companies including
pre-revenue start-ups, mid-market companies to
large scale companies, such as Proctor &
Gamble. He also has the expertise in creative
product development, marketing, and technical
sales instrumentation and capital equipment.
Serving Global & Diverse Market
BioDirection estimates up to a 5-Billion-dollar
market in USA alone for its products with
potential to treat greater 50 Million people
around the globe. TBI injury impacts all walks
of life and age groups with high potential targets
extending well beyond sports (all levels – youth,
interscholastic, university/college, and
professional). Additional targeted markets
include military training and deployment,
hazardous work environments, senior living or
nursing facilities, medical clinics and physician
offices, first responders and ambulances, rural
medicine, educational facilities, recreation and
disaster relief.
BioDirection’s first targeted market is a screen
to a CT scan, which it estimates is up to 5 million CTscans
for head injury per year in the USA. The company is
awaiting its final trial results, which the company believes
will approach 100 percent sensitivity to positive CT scans
(100% NPV) and ability to detect abnormal protein levels
consistent with micro-bleeding not found in negative CT
scans.
It has already received FDA Breakthrough Device
Designation in January 2019. Subject to FDA review and
clearance, BioDirection’s first target is to launch Q1 in
2020; this is subject to FDA review and clearance process.
Future Road Map & Development Strategies
Moving beyond the screen to CT, BioDirection plans to
modify the existing TBI™ System providing the full
continuum of care for TBI patients including stratification
of injury, prognosis, and post-operative return to activity or
play. Additionally, the company is also seeking a partner to
develop rapid testing products for sepsis, which also require
rapid diagnosis in critical conditions.
18 / MAY 2019 /

22. ntibiotic resistance is a major problem faced by the
healthcare industry today. It has cost a lot of
Amonetary resources as well as a lot of companies
have invested their time in finding a solution to this.
Biolumo, an innovative and growing company based in
Gdynia, Poland, was also set on the same quest. It faced a
question from its mentor and business advisor, “Can you
point any solution that will make me sure my son got the
right antibiotics prescribed?” This question lighted a spark
in the company’s team; a spark that started the fire called
Biolumo. Today, the company is focused on developing a
set of tools for fast and inexpensive antibiotic resistance
detection.
Founded in 2017, Biolumo has its major operation centers
in Pomerania Science and Technology Park, Gdynia. It
offers a diagnostic effectiveness on antibiogram level,
delivering results 8 times faster.
The Fuel to its Success
No one person can achieve true science and business
success alone, believes Biolumo. It believes in working as a
team and with partners. The roles in the company reflect the
responsibilities and skillset, not hierarchy. Biolumo has an
amazing team starting with its Chief Science Officer,
Marcin Pitek, who came with the idea. Olga Grudniak is
the CEO, who combines science and business together. She
is very recognized, young businesswoman. Wojciech
Giżowski, the COO, is an expert on building both relations
and products. He is responsible for the most partnerships
and mentors that keep the company going. Jakub Wysocki
keeps Biolumo on the lips of both media and investors. All
of them have played important roles in the company’s
success.
The Journey of Biolumo
Post Biolumo’s inception, the first months were devoted to
testing its initial idea to identify antibiotics resistance in the
patients’ samples. Since then, Biolumo has evolved this
method and designed fully automated prototype that can be
used by every nurse.
Biolumo Delivering a Fast Point-of-care
Antibiotics Selection Tool
Olga Grudniak
CEO
Wojciech Giżowski
VP& COO
Jakub Wysocki
CMO
20 / MAY 2019 /

23. We aim toimprove
care for all,by
finding an answer to the
antibiotic resistance problem,
with an interdisciplinary
approach
“
“
It has participated in one of the best acceleration program in
the world – Startupbootcamp Digital Health, which helped
Biolumo in planning its international growth strategy. In
Poland, the company’s country of origin, it has managed to
partner up with the biggest healthcare companies on the
market.
“Our mission, even before the Biolumo conception, was to
fight antibiotics resistance the best we can,” says Olga. The
want to give scientists time to develop a sustainable
successor for traditional antibiotics was the goal of
Biolumo’s science team, this also included boosting
effectiveness of diagnostics amongst the group that
prescribes the most antibiotics, General Practitioners.
Unique Point-of-care Solution
Biolumo’s flagship product is a fast, point-of-care
antibiotics selection device for general practitioners and
clinics. The company is offering diagnostic effectiveness on
antibiogram level, by delivering results eight times faster.
Furthermore, its solution is automated and therefore, easy to
use. It can also provide a new revenue stream for clinics.
This product is a brilliant combination of biotechnology,
hardware, and software. The company has used modern
technology instead of XX century method, which allowed it
to identify antibiotics resistance much faster. With
Biolumo’s ingenious product, a laboratory, trained
specialists, or the transporting sample are not needed to
reach the results and that minimizes the costs further.
The company’s interdisciplinary approach and its focus on
finding the best combination of these disciplines is the key
factor leading it towards success.
Honorary Laurels
For its remarkable contribution, Biolumo has been
recognized by many national and international
organizations highly regarded amongst the healthcare
society. One of the biggest distinctions Biolumo has been
honoured with was being listed at prestigious Global
Digital Health 100 ranking by The Journal of mHealth. It
has also been awarded the title - The Healthcare Leader
during The XXIII International Open Healthcare Congress
by the healthcare key opinion leaders in its region, in
January 2018. Biolumo won the 2nd place at infoShare
2018 Startup Contest, the competition that takes place
during the biggest startup conference in the CEE region.
Furthermore, at the beginning of 2019, its CEO, Olga
Grudniak, has been named The Best Entrepreneur in 25
Under 25 by Forbes and The Businesswoman of the Yearin
Poland.
What’s Ahead?
Biolumo is working hard to roll out its device, as soon as
possible. “We want to give scientists the time to develop a
sustainable successor for traditional antibiotics – our
science team included – by boosting effectiveness of
diagnostics,” says Wojciech. After that, it has developed
plans for the next features and upgrades in its product.
Speaking about the future endeavors, businesswise,
Wojciech asserts, “We are working on strategies for
international lunch of our device. To get the effects we hopeto
achieve, we need to provide our solution worldwide, not
only in our region.” Simultaneously, the company is
continually working on the next generation antibiotic that
should be a long-term solution for the problem, which may
take some time and resources as developing any new drug
does.
/ MAY 2019/ 21

24. Recent
Advancements in
DIAGNOSTIC
INDUSTRY
22 / MAY 2019 /

25. he healthcare sector is moving from reactive care to preventive care. Preventive
care helps the patient take necessary precautions to avoid certain conditions and
Talso helps them in identifying the root of a disease before it becomes serious.
Additionally, the cost of preventive care is much less than that of reactive care.
Diagnostics is a major part of preventive care. All the conventional treatment methods
mostly follow the trial and error method, where the illness is guessed based on the
symptoms the patient shows. It is necessary to move ahead from this method to
personalized care to improve the outcomes of healthcare. Optimum diagnosis is the first
step towards this. The diagnostics industry is witnessing immense transformation and
there are various new developments that are helping it move towards personalized care.
Let'slookattherecentdevicestransformingdiagnostics.
Better Detectionof
Ebola Virus with a
Microfluid Device
Industry Trends
Ebola is a highly contagious and deadly virus and
once infected, it leaveslimited treatment options
for the patient. Moreover, it canspreadeasilyand
start anepidemic. Tocombat the dangersit brings
to the human lives, scientists at the Rochester
Institute of Technology (RIT) have developed the
prototype of a novel micro device. This device
helps diagnose the infection caused by Ebola
early, which results in better treatment outcomes
aswellasreducesthespreadofinfections.
The developed microfluid device has biosensors
attached to it. It is a small, automated chip that
has fluorescence sensors attached to it. The
device detects the Ebola RNA when the patient's
sample is added to it by activating the CRISPR
mechanism. The researchers are further trying to
find a way to generate this device at affordable
costs.
/ MAY 2019/ 23

26. KidneyIntelX is the main diagnostic test for
kidney diseases devised by Renalytix AI plc. It
exhibits promise to improve the clinical
management of patients with fast-growing
kidney diseases and type-2 diabetes. It helps in
better diagnosis and well as treatment of these.
KidneyIntelX uses machine learning algorithms
to examine the combination of predictive blood-
based biomarkers. These include sTNFR1,
sTNFR2, and KIM1 along with the electronic
health record data. The device is designed to
identify the progressive kidney disease. It was
designatedasaBreakthroughDevicebyFDA.
KidneyIntelX-
ABreakthrough
Device
KidneyIntelX is the main diagnostic test for
kidney diseases devised by Renalytix AI plc. It
exhibits promise to improve the clinical
management of patients with fast-growing
kidney diseases and type-2 diabetes. It helps in
better diagnosis and well as treatment of these.
KidneyIntelX uses machine learning algorithms
to examine the combination of predictive blood-
based biomarkers. These include sTNFR1,
sTNFR2, and KIM1 along with the electronic
health record data. The device is designed to
identify the progressive kidney disease. It was
designatedasaBreakthroughDevicebyFDA.
Q-POC –
ARevolutionary
DiagnosticsKit
24 / MAY 2019 /

27. MinION, a new DNA sequencing device by
Oxford Nanopore, can detect the Huntington's
disease a lot faster than the traditional ways. It
could therefore drastically reduce the waiting
time for number of critical cases of Huntington's
disease, as well as other genetic disorders in the
future. Moreover, it meetsthe strict international
qualitystandardsfor laboratoryuse.
MinION is a small device which decodes every
DNA strand separately in real-time. This hand-
held device can then identify the changes in any
DNA sequence to detect the genetic disorder.
Being able to do all of this in real-time, the device
cutsdownthewait timefor theresults.
A Remarkable
DNASequencing
Device- MinION
MinION, a new DNA sequencing device by
Oxford Nanopore, can detect the Huntington's
disease a lot faster than the traditional ways. It
could therefore drastically reduce the waiting
time for number of critical cases of Huntington's
disease, as well as other genetic disorders in the
future. Moreover, it meetsthe strict international
qualitystandardsfor laboratoryuse.
Mass Spec-
Promise of a
Better Tomorrow
MinION is a small device which decodes every
DNA strand separately in real-time. This hand-
held device can then identify the changes in any
DNA sequence to detect the genetic disorder.
Being able to do all of this in real-time, the device
cutsdownthewait timefor theresults.
The medical diagnostics industry is advancing at a fast-paced. The new innovations come with a
promise to enhance the accuracy of detecting diseasesin ahuman body in real-time. Moreover, the
easeofuse,simplicityinmanufacturingaswellastheaffordabilityofthelatestdevicesisimproved.
-Aishwarya Nawandhar,Editor
/ MAY 2019/ 25

28. Destablished in 2014, and officially started
commercial operations in 2017. Colorimetrix decided to
help women seeking to get pregnant with their first product
‘Pearl Fertility’ released to the market in 2018. Since then,
its drive has been the same, to bring knowledge forward,
where it is most needed, in the hands of consumers seeking
information about their bodies in a more personalized and
understanding way.
‘Pearl Fertility’ is a self-monitoring kit to test hormones at
home. Women can see their hormones rise and fall during
their cycle and get personalized information. For couples
who are trying to conceive, this is crucial, as knowing when
the fertile days are based on reliable accurate predictions,
can lead to kick starting a new, wonderful journey.
About the Duo
Dr. Leo Martinez is the CEO and Dominik Westner is the
CTO of Colorimetrix. Dr. Martinez was included in the list
to help consumers
with direct access
to healthcare
tools they can use
at home
Our mi“ssion is
“
of Innovators under 35 by
the MIT Technology Review in
2014 for the technology. Mr. Westner, on the other hand, is
a seasoned software entrepreneur, with a successful exit to
Blackberry in 2011. They both are spearheading
Colorimetrix with their inimitable talent and have achieved
milestones together to bring ‘Pearl Fertility’ to the market
(www.pearl-fertility.com).
The Story of Colorimetrix
Colorimetrix started as a small project, as the lab in pocket
or pocket diagnostics. While Dr. Martinez was working in
the lab, he broke a spectrophotometer machine, which is a
very expensive and bulky machine, which made him realize
that most of the machines required in healthcare procedures
are heavy, weight-wise as well as cost-wise. He then started
dreaming of making them obsolete with software and small
hardware and then realized that almost all they do is already
included in a mobile phone. Since then, Dr. Martinez and
his partner Dominik started working on multiple
Colorimetrix
Bringing Lab Diagnostic Tools
to the Hands of Everyone
Dominik Westner | CTO
Dr. Leo Martinez | CEO
riven with the passion of ‘Making diagnostic lab
tools accessible to everyone’, Colorimetrix was
26 / MAY 2019 /

29. applications of the technology. The number of potential
applications was vast and broad, after a lengthy process of
defining the product that is when finally the decision was
made to go with Pearl Fertility- Colorimetrix’s firstn
product, ovulation and fertility tracking at home, the first
fertility test that includes up to three individual hormones.
Awards and Recognitions
Apart from the MIT Innovators under 35 Award,
Colorimetrix holds the ‘Seal of Excellence’ from the
European Commission for top SME companies. The
company has also been a part of the ‘Mass Challenge
Accelerator in Switzerland’ and is a Grantee of the EIT-
Health in Europe. Colorimetrix was also a part of the
Google Launch Pad for startups in Germany, and has gained
recognition in various pitching events in Europe.
Testimonials
The true success of any company is measured by the
number of its happy clients. Colorimetrix has been an
essential part of its clients’ journey and they speak really
highly of the company’s ovulation tests kit, Pearl Fertility:
“We used this product to confirm ovulation which we
measure using LH test sticks. This was an easy to use test-
the main catch is to remember that you’re looking for only
one line to confirm progesterone, rather than the standard
two lines of other positive tests!”- Amazon from Danielle
“We are very happy to share with you the joy of having a
baby and let you know that Pearl was of great help in the
journey, every test strip we took was worth the effort”-
Fernanda, Nutritionist
Simplifying Life of Patients and Physicians
Colorimetrix says that it is easy to misuse the word ‘patient’
in the Fertility topic. The truth is that many people are
immediately classified as infertile because of the lack of
consensus and the lack of knowledge in the fertility space.
In reality, there are several conditions that affect fertility,
and it does not necessarily mean they make you infertile,
some are treatable and some may just lead to one taking
longer journeys to conceive, but not necessarily make one
infertile or in need of IVF right away. The company
believes that patients are often left alone after the doctor’s
visit and the doctor tells them to keep trying back at home,
but there is no way for the doctor to be there with them in
those moments of frustration and despair.
“The medicine of the future is the one that comes to you,
when the doctor comes to you, when the lab comes to you,
when the hospital comes to you. We are just providing a
small piece of the puzzle in the future of medicine. That one
that is personalized, predictive, at home” delivers Dr.
Martinez.
Future Plans
Colorimetrix is planning to bring more interesting tools for
self-monitoring at home to the market. It is also likely to
expand its focus from the fertility space to other segments
of concern. Also, the company is helping enterprises with
solutions for their daily testing routines outside of the
health space.
On asking him about the positive trends going on in the
diagnostic industry, Dr. Martinez said, “Diagnostics at
home, that is the key, that is the trend. Not to mention that it
has to be personalized, perhaps an old trend but the one so
many companies forget to address still. This is what we are
doing.” While talking about the future goals of
Colorimetrix, Dr. Martinez said, “The clinic, the lab, the
medic, comes to you, that is the future we are building up
here. Fertility is our first topic, there are many more to tap
into.”
/ MAY 2019/ 27

30. Digital
Needto
in the
Space?
AbouttheAuthor
Tania Martin-Mercado, PhD, is the Chief
Technology Officer of YGEIA, a digital
healthcare company focused on home
healthcare and chronic disease management.
She holds various degrees in IT, healthcare, as
well as biotechnology and is seasoned with a
lot of experience at various prestigious posts
throughout the years. Being a curious soul
and always been fascinated with technology,
Tania has been a part of various healthcare
innovations.
28 / MAY 2019 /

31. TaniaMartin-Mercado
Chief Technology O¶cer
YGEIA
Adroit Outlook
/ MAY 2019/ 29

32. e hear a lot of buzz in the industry and in the marketplace about the latest in digital healthcare.
From artificial intelligence, machine learning, remote patient monitoring and wearable
Wtechnology to home monitoring and data, data, data – digital healthcare has morphed into one
ofthemosttransformative healthcare trends.
While this is one of the most exciting times to be in the digital healthcare market, startups focused on this
space need to make sure their product and service have three-fold impact: Improved patient outcomes,
reduced cost of delivery, and quality of care. Cost, quality and patient experience often go unnoticed or
ignored in favor of technical functionality. The latest and greatest digital healthcare technology will fail if
the patients don’t understand how to use it, providers can’t implement it into their workflow, and payors
won’t reimburse for itsuse.
By starting with a patient-centered focus, digital startups will find they may need to slow down and get a
better understanding of the healthcare industry, which operates differently than the tech world. There are
more stakeholders in healthcare that need consideration: doctors, patients, insurers, regulators; each of
these stakeholders holds a unique perspective on the technology being adopted. Healthcare is complex
because patients are complex. As digital startups focus on one area, such as a particular disease, they may
stumble onto the multiple factors that contribute to that disease, what insurers do and don’t cover related
to that disease and its symptoms, and more variables that directly or indirectly affect their product or
service. The development of a product or service requires research into clinical practice, medical study,
patient and doctor interviews, and several focus groups. Digital healthcare startups need to have patience
– something that is unattractive to some investors, causing digital healthcare startups to rush into product
development too quickly. Instead, involving key stakeholders early in the development process and fully
understanding the concerns and perspective will allowthese startups to impact the healthcare space where
itmatters most – patient care.
The Medical Futurist published a fantastic article earlier this year that highlights why healthcare startups
fail. Forgetting about the patient, not including the provider, difficulty creating clinical value and
overclaiming what the technology can do area justa few ofareas discussed inthis article.
Another area often overlooked by digital healthcare startups is the need to integrate. Healthcare data is
massive, and there is no “central repository” to draw from. By understanding and embracing the need for
shared services, integration with other startups or providers in the healthcare industry can foster
innovation and better meet patient need or demand. Instead startups may focus on siloed solutions that
make it difficult for providers to implement into their practice, thus not offering value to the patient. By
understanding how patient data is viewed from a provider and payor perspective, digital healthcare
startups will find outhow theirproduct orservice will bemost useful.
This is such an exciting time to be in the healthcare space. The satisfaction of making a positive impact in
communities by improving patient care is why many startups dive into the healthcare space. By taking a
few ofthese pointsintoconsideration, digitalhealthcare startups will find their endeavors bearing fruit.
30 / MAY 2019 /

34. Headquartered in Beverly, MA, and founded in
2012, Genomic Expression is a prominent
organization that sequences RNA to identify the
best drug for the patient and the best patient for the drug.
The company is spearheading with a vision to revolutionize
healthcare by truly individualizing it, which in oncology
means selection of effective treatments that either cure
cancer or at least make it chronic and not a death sentence.
The company was established by Gitte Pedersen, the CEO
and Co-founder, and her brother Morten Pedersen, after
their mother was diagnosed with cancer. Gitte and Morten
both are scientists and they knew that the diagnosis was a
death sentence if they followed the standard of care
guidelines. As a result, they searched for a better drug in
clinical development. However, in order to figure out which
clinical trial could potentially benefit their mother, they
needed to better understand the tumor’s genetic profile. For
that, they looked for a tool that could do the analysis on a
large scale and such a tool did not exist. This gave them a
kick-start to incept Genomic Expressions.
Today, the company has top placements in Women’s
Genomic
Expression
Improving Care and Saving Lives
We em“phasize
“
Founders Network, XTC
(Richard Branson), Molecular Tri
Conference, Red Herring,and MedTech
Innovator. It has also been felicitated with the
‘Lyfebulb-Helsinn Award’, ‘EIC Life Science Award’, and
‘EUTop50’, and Gitte has presented at the European
commission as well as at the United Nations.
A Journey that Brought Innovation
Genomic Expression was started with a large grant from the
Danish Government as the diagnostic partner of “Genome
Denmark”. Gitte and Morten then leveraged that success to
raise its first round. With just a patent and an idea in hand at
that time, the team travelled over the “valley of death” by
raising grant money. Today, the company has 4 fully funded
clinical programs validating its platform - OneRNA™, in
four different cancer types with a strong focus on women’s
cancer first - all funded by grants.
Genomic Expression could achieve this level of backing
because of its ground breaking data. “We identify marker
for a handful of already approved drugs in 100% of the
on the patient first
and aim to create
a company that
respects the individual
Gitte Pedersen | CEO& Co-founder
and embraces diversity
32 / MAY 2019 /

35. patients by sequencing RNA instead of DNA. This is true in
any cancer type. In a world where only 1 out of 4 cancer
treatments actually prolongs life, we believe we can greatly
improve outcome and reduce recurrence, and that is what
we want to prove in these clinical programs,” asserts Gitte.
She further continues saying, “We also believe that treating
patients with drugs that actually work as a first line of
treatment will decrease cost of care, since managing the
side effects for some of the more toxic drugs are expensive,
and cost of losing mothers and fathers is significant cost to
the society.”
OneRNA™: A Unique Flagship Product of thecompany
Genomic Expression’s OneRNA™ sequencing platform
enables a paradigm shift from ONE disease, ONE marker,
ONE drug to ONE patient, MANY markers, MULTIPLE
treatment options that go beyond drugs by sequencing RNA
and linking data to treatments.
OneRNA™ is positioned to disrupt the current standard
of care paradigm which only prolongs life for 1 out of 4
patients in oncology, while we are spending $100 billion
on drugs and 8 million patients die. Using the existing
drugs as the toolbox, the company believes that it can
prolong life for most patients and in contrast to drugs,
clinical approvals can be obtained in less than 12 month.
Thus, this paradigm shift is a breakthrough because
itcan select the best drug for the patients’ real-time
problems. For an instance, new drugs get approved or
enter into clinical trials all the time and if there is a
match between the tumor and this new drug,
information can be pushed to the patient’s doctor.
Besides, OneRNA™ is a platform that integrates
workflow from RNA extraction in FFPE samples,
proprietary RNA-seq library generation, using Illumina
sequencing and proprietary algorithms to analyze the
data and several proprietary databases. It enables the
identification of aberrantly expressed genes through to
the clinical interpretation. This platform is
exponentially scalable and can be moved into other
indication with an update to the clinical database. The
development of this platform has been enabled by Next
Generation Sequencing and AI/Big data analytics.
Until now, the company has raised +$6.5M in grants to
validate OneRNA™ in 4 types of cancers, from the
Danish Innovasion Fund, EuroStars, and Horizon2020.
Happy Clients at Genomic Expression
The true award for any company is its happy clients.
Genomic Expression has received numerous positive
feedbacks from its satisfactory clients.
“Measurement of gene transcription through quantitative
measurement of RNA sequencing, as made possible by
Genomic Expression’s approach, will add significantly to
current methods to characterize the molecular features of
individual cancers and guide personalized therapy.”- Dr
Shridar Ganesan, Rutgers Cancer Center
“Being able to identify responders and non-responders to
novel treatments by analyzing blood in combination with
the OneRNA™ platform has the potential to further
improve care and reduce cost. Being able to substitute a
highly invasive and expensive biopsy with a blood-based
biomarker assay is not only beneficial for the patient, but
also potentially able to reduce cost of care.”- Dr Jonathan
Hernandez, The NCI
Future Plans
Genomic Expression would be launching OneRNA™ this
year while its mission is to get the test into standard of care
in women cancer first. The company has at least three data
packages that are being published over the next couple of
years. The company is planning to expand internationally
and wishes to address all cancer indications where there is
an unmet need, through partnerships and also by raising
additional capital.
The company can also move into other indications, such as
autoimmune inflammatory diseases and all the way to
health monitoring and would be focusing more on
revolutionizing the healthcare system.
/ MAY 2019/ 33

38. Technologies like Cloud and I.A hasbeen
determining the future of almost all the
industries and the diagnostic solution industry isn’t
different. The big volume of data, the instant access of
information and the constant increase of computation power
has enabled a new era for I.A in Healthcare. One such
eminent company that has integrated these technologies in
its functioning is Medcloud. Cloud and I.A is a natural
move for Medcloud. Headquartered in São Paulo, Brazil,
with its operation center in Rio de Janeiro, Medcloud was
established in the year 2012.
PACS and medical systems imaging has been pretty much
the same for the past 25 years.
Interoperability issues, high costs, and a lack of
understanding about the role of the patient
in a diagnosis context. These points have defined limits for
the patient-doctor relationship and barriers for radiology
workflows. Medcloud is committed to revolutionize that
through a care-coordination solution that improves
workflows for providers and integrates doctors and patients
to a better care. As diagnosis has been a part of the patient
journey, it is working on empowering millions of lives
Medcloud
Centralizing Data for
Decentralizing Care
Medcloud aims to
Offer the next generation of
Cloud services for
Diagnostic Management, by
accelerating the transition of
diagnostic centers and
hospitals to the Cloud
“
“
through a worldwide imaging
center cloud platform.
The Unique Products and Services Offered
For imaging centers, Medcloud is a patient-centered
platform for diagnosis, focused on simplifying test
management in all its phases. Unlike other medical imaging
solutions, Medcloud offers customizable and integrated
solutions for any kind of medical tests, combining in a
single application all the required tools for diagnostic teams
and a mobile way to share the test results. Using its patient-
doctor portal, patients can listen to the voice of a radiologist
explaining test results in simple terms, keeping medical
history centralized and sharable. The company has
developed a cloud platform solution for tests and medical
reports. Some of the features of this platform are:
 Send or receive tests from any location easily, storingthem
fulltime with automated backup routines
 Access tests, anytime, anywhere, through a flexible
management and reporting tool
 Share tests with patients and doctors, engaging them
through a modern patient portal and App
Dimas Francisco Silva Jr.| CEO
36 / MAY 2019 /

39. The benefits of this technology can be found not only in the
optimization of clinical workflow but also by providing a
secure, reliable and uncomplicated way patients can access
their test results and share with their doctors. The business
model used by the company is SaaS having the diagnosis
clinics as their main clients. As the solution is almost plug
and play, the laboratories and diagnosis clinics can have a
very fast tool to enhance service and provide a closer care
of their patients, while at the same time reducing costs.
“We’re delighted to see day by day a large number of
healthcare companies experience a more secure and
intelligent way to manage, store and share clinical data,”
says the CEO.
Furthermore, the platform can be used as healthcare
marketplace and for that the company is currently working
in two new developments:
Clinical trials – MedCloud empowers
patients to have access to the information in
tests. The system can be transformed into a
platform to gather information for clinical
trials. Patients can easily decide whether to
grant access to the results of their test in
exchange of financial compensation for the
use of this information in clinical trials. It is
a direct channel to valuable information
that can help many studies.
Medical Labor marketplace – Diagnosis
clinics and laboratories can use the
platform to hire remote skilled medical
labor to work on tests and diagnosis. Also,
thanks to the large volume of information
and approaches of Data Science and Big
Data, Medcloud provides trivial means of
research and scientific analysis for the sake
of good health.
Medcloud respects the privacy of patient data and has ways
of using clinical, demographic and statistical data in the
prevention of diseases and monitoring of chronic patients.
Besides that, Medcloud has its own I.A engine in order to
help radiologist on their daily basis workflow.
The Medcloud App
Medcloud’s App is aimed to provide patients with thebest
experience in accessing and sharing exams as well as to
bring them benefits with a new digital experience, such as:
 Accessing all exams in real time, anytime, anywhere
 Keeping medical history centralized. It can be shared
with a new doctor when necessary
 Digitally interacting with a specialist in a virtual pre-
appointment
 Listening to the voice of a diagnostician explaining test
results in simple terms
 Full-time storage of any type ofexams
 Easy re-appointments and improvement of the Doctor-
Patient relationship
By prioritizing the patient at the center of all processes,
clinics adopt a loyalty approach, creating a digital interface
for the engagement of patients and health professionals.
Medcloud can be integrated with any equipment, software
or medical device and drastically reduces the use of printed
media by the clinics, favoring the environment with the
digital sharing of diagnostics.
/ MAY 2019/ 37

40. The Passionate Leadership
Medcloud was founded by Dimas Francisco Silva Jr.who
is currently the CEO. Dimas is passionate about great
products, teams, and patient experience. He thinks that
great products are like a good music.
Speaking highly of this team, he asserts, “It’s an easy and
lovely experience and doesn’t need any previousinstruction
in order to enjoy it. In order to enable great products, he
thinks that only a good orchestration process and a team
could deliver such level of quality. In other words, only a
good orchestra could provide a good concert. Only a
compromised and devoted team could create a winner
service.”
Notable Awards andAccreditations
Medcloud has received the following awards over the last
years:
 Brazilian Pharma Solutions @ Biominas Brasil 2018 1st
place in the Mapping of Innovations carried out byApex-
Brasil, Abiquifi and Biominas Brazil.
 Frost & Sullivan’s # 1 Cloud-Based Medical Solution in
Latin America,’ 2016 Best Practices Award, more than an
award, this title was a confirmation that Medcloud has
been on the right track to achieve its moonshots.
Also, Medcloud is the only 100% Cloud Platform in the
market with ANVISA and HIPAA compliance accreditation.
The Brazilian Health Regulatory Agency (ANVISA) is an
autarchy linked to the Ministry of Health; this is huge and
very important for Medcloud’s clients. More than offering a
great product, the company aims to provide a safe place to
store PHI (Personal Healthcare Information).
Bright Future of Medcloud
Medcloud had an exponential growth in the past year. The
company is already operating in 19 states inside Brazil, and
has special projects in Uruguay, Chile and USA. With that
vision, Medcloud has created a new class of products and
services. “I.A and Cloud is a natural and required move for
ALL diagnostic centers, clinics and hospitals around the
world,” says Dimas.
Its desire to conquer the international market has been
influenced by its minority partner; an investment fund from
New York called Startup Health. Through Startup Health’s
coaching and acceleration program, Medcloud managers
had the opportunity to see that the innovation environment
outside Brazil offers a wide range of possibilities. And the
company is currently evaluating possible
internationalization scenarios, like Europe, Africa andmore
countries and North and South America.
Also, Medcloud has been partnering with important
Teleradiology and Telemedicine groups across South
America, to offertheir services in a more clinic-oriented
way. The goal here is to enable diagnostic centers and
hospitals to experience the Cloud and I.A services through a
medical and service perspective, rather than a software
experience.
38 / MAY 2019 /

42. Never Miss aDose
Medication Apps
obile phones, especially smartphones, are doing more than what they were
intended to do. Thanks to all the apps that developers around the world are busy
Mmakingto simplifythelives.Thesemobileappscomein all shapesandsizesanddoa
myriad ofthingsfor smartphoneusers.Whilegaming,socialmedia,andretail appscontinue to
rule the charts, health apps are surely catching up. With people becoming more health
consciousthanever,theseappsarealsomakingtheir mark.
Good health is attributed to many factors. One needs to have a proper diet, exercise, routine
checkups, and the likes. What most people tend to neglect intentionally or unintentionally is
the medication routine. Medicines, be it alifesaving drug or just avitamin pill, is also essential
for good health. Unfortunately, most people tend to forget taking their pills on time. Some
blame it on their schedule, some don’t find the time, some are too busy to remember, and
some, like the elderly, just forget to take it. According to a report published in Annals of
Internal Medicine, September 2012, America loses $100 – $289 billion in a year due to
medication non-adherence. The situation is graver in case of chronic illnesses. Treatment of
suchdiseaserequires long-term useof medicines. But patients are seennot adhering to it due
to various reasons. A study from Mayo Clinic states “approximately 50% of patients do not
take their medications asprescribed.” This amounts to not only monetary loss but alsohealth
issues. Some patients end up in emergency rooms because they did take medicines on time.
Even small issues turn into serious ones if not treated properly. Doctors have long been
advisingpeopletotaketheir medicinesasprescribed.Buttheresults justdon’tmatchup.
Keeping a digital eye on health Mobile appsarenowbeingusedto fight this underrated
health concern.A hugepopulation of these patients uses smartphones. Mobile apps are now
being recommended by doctors and other patients alike to tackle this menace. These apps
are easy to use, mostly free, and are designed to perform alot of things for the patients.
Theseapps haveanumber of features to assist patients with drug adherence. The process
is simple and starts with the patient uploading their prescription or filling in the drugs that
they are on. They can then customize alarms,setupemergencynumbers,put atracker,and
other suchfeatures.Someappsevenuse gamestohelppatients understandtheimportanceof
takingmedicationontime.
40 / MAY 2019 /

43. Apps fullof features
Different apps offer different features and
sometimes address only a particular concern.
Some apps are free of cost while some are
premium and offer much-advanced features. But
mostappsdothefollowing:
Set up reminders -- Easiest way to get your dose on
time isto set up alarms.Theappsset off alarmsat a
definitive time and some even light up the screen
with particular colors to remind the patients of
their pending dose. Some even auto-adjust to the
time zones, so that the patients do not mess up
their dosage when traveling to different parts of
theworld.
Send messages to caregiver -- Some apps send
messages to the patient’s caregiver (mostly family
member) and doctor when they miss a dose. They
canthenremindthepatientto taketheir medicine.
Editor'sAngle
/ MAY 2019/ 41

44. Managefamilyhealth-- Someappscanhelppatients dealwith multiple profiles.Thisallows one
membertrackthemedicinehabitsoftheentirefamily.
Drug Interaction– Fewappshavethe feature to let patients know about drug interactions i.e.if
any two or more of one’s medicines can react and cause issues to his/her wellbeing. This
featurecanreallyhelpif onetakesover-the-counterdrugswith prescribedmedicine.
Medical Jargons – Mobile apps can let patients understand medical terms too. Terms like CR
(Controlled Release) printed on the medicine can often be confusing for patients. These apps
helpthemcracksuchcodes.
Refill reminders – These mobile apps remind patients in advance when they are about to run
outoftheir prescribedmedicines.
Contacting Pharmacy -- A few apps let patients upload their prescription with the pharmacy
andget their medicines door-step delivered when they needit. Theyevenallow the pharmacy
to cross-check with the patient’s doctor to make sure that the prescribed medicines need to
becontinued.
Generic Report – Some medicine mobile apps also let patients record their blood pressure,
sugarlevelsandsendthemto their doctorsatafixedtimeinterval(sayonceinamonth).
These mobile apps are really proving to be a boon especially for the elderly and those
suffering from chronic illnesses or illnesses like Parkinson where the patient genuinely
forgets to take the pills. Timely reminders, interactive interface, easy-to-use and manage
features, sounds and lights, all make them suitable for patients across the world. Some paid
andadvanced appseven let patients take avideo consultation with their doctors. Theworld is
getting smarter and better. The world of medicine apps is slowly recognizing the opportunity
and what this market can be in the future. Such apps are surely going to make this world a
healthierplace!
-Sneha Sinha,Editor
42 / MAY 2019 /