With two of the best nursing schools in the southwest, it’s no surprise Arizona is home to several medical tech startups that are gradually revolutionizing both industries. These five products, websites, and apps provide patients with a fresh perspective on the world of medicine.
NeoLight
In 2014, Arizona State University graduates Chase, Deepak, Siva, and Vivek learned of the staggering 219 infant deaths that occur in Africa daily due to jaundice and a lack of proper phototherapy. Using their education and experience in engineering, the team came together to devise a practical solution: the NeoLight. Though several devices exist in developed nations to help cure infantile jaundice, they come with many side effects, including unwanted weight loss, dehydration, erythema, skin irritation, and general discomfort. The NeoLight, a portable LED light bed, prevents these side effects while allowing the infant to remain close to their mother. Its effective heat channeling technology also ensures zero thermal dissipation to the newborn – a common concern with even the most advanced jaundice-healing devices. The NeoLight consists of four easily-attached “plug and play” pieces, making it simple to build and use.
eVisit
eVisit is changing the way medical and psychiatric patients “meet” with health professionals. Pediatric, adult primary care, mental health, dermatology, and other health experts with their own practices can sign up for eVisit to speak with patients about their ailments through the Web. Patients typically pay the same amount they would for an in-person visit, but can have their conditions diagnosed from the comfort of their own homes. After diagnosing an ailment through two-way HD video chat, health professionals can send prescriptions to the patient’s preferred pharmacy and bill the patient electronically. eVisit software is 100 percent HIPAA compliant, presents no additional risk for medical malpractice lawsuits, and is open to a wide range of medical specialties. Their website claims a potential 300 percent patient flow increase after using eVisit to treat minor medical conditions.
Picmonic
By revolutionizing the way medical and nursing undergrads study for practicals and exams, Picmonic helps to raise students’ overall grades and improve long-term information retention for real-world career use. Rather than forcing students to rely on flash cards, complex diagrams, and plain text, Picmonic provides users with captivating stories; specific parts of the human body are assigned characters (anatomy), while functions of the body are provided roles within the plot (physiology). Students have the opportunity to get to know the characters involved in the story before hearing how it all relates to the human body and its natural processes, after which they can launch a review session and “master” the lesson through an interactive quiz. A free membership allows users to view about half of Picmonic’s materials, while a paid membership (which can be reduced in cost by becoming a campus ambassador) allows unlimited access and assistance from Picmonic team members.
Healthiest You
Like eVisit, Healthiest You strives to connect patients with health professionals quickly, easily, and without leaving the home until absolutely necessary. After signing up, Healthiest You users can use the corresponding smartphone application to find nearby doctors, pharmacies, urgent care facilities, and even veterinarians. In the midst of a troublesome ailment, users can connect via phone and video with certified health professionals, who then diagnose the problem and prescribe medication electronically. By assessing current prices at nearby pharmacies, Healthiest You helps users “shop around” for the least expensive prescription medications, saving money in the long term; it will even send location-based money-saving reminders when users walk into particularly expensive local pharmacies. With Healthiest You’s “circles” feature, the app helps to keep track of appointments and contact information for all of the user’s chosen health professionals, including primary care physicians, optometrists, dentists, and more. Healthiest You makes maintaining one’s health easier, faster, and more enjoyable.
EpiFinder
Nearly 3 million people have active epilepsy in the United States. EpiFinder, a point-of-care clinical decision support application, helps medical professionals assess epilepsy syndromes. Using custom algorithms, AI, and more, EpiFinder analyzes a patient’s data and helps doctors to better assess their patients. The application, developed with help from doctors at the Mayo Clinic, is primarily aimed toward neurologists and epileptologists. Though EpiFinder’s most significant goal is to reduce misdiagnosis in the field of epileptology, they plan on expanding into Alzheimer’s and Parkinson’s disease diagnosis within the next several years. Epifinder secured significant funding, office space at Scottsdale’s luxurious SkySong business complex, and entrepreneurial mentorship after being chosen as one of Arizona State University’s 20 full-time Edson ventures in 2014. Since, it has since built a diverse, talented, and multidisciplinary team that has received numerous awards and recognitions, including the Flinn Foundation Award, Bioaccel Challenge, ACVC, GCU IDEA Challenge, and Changemaker Entrepreneur of the Year Award.
