The New Healthcare Revolution

On 1 June, we launched PULSE@MassChallenge, an innovation lab for digital health entrepreneurs. Serving as a central “hub” for the digital health ecosystem, PULSE@MassChallenge will connect entrepreneurs with leading providers, investors, corporates, and institutions, to fuel new ideas.

Unless you work in the health industry, you probably have a vague sense of what digital health means. Robot doctors? Not quite. If you’re thinking of Apple Watch, then you’re on the right track.

What is Digital Health?

The term “digital health” was coined by entrepreneur Paul Sonnier. It refers to the convergence between advancements in healthcare, programming, and research of the human genome. Digital health uses tools such as wearable devices, smartphone apps, social networking, advanced computing, and more to make healthcare more effective and more affordable. This allows people to live better, healthier lives.

Innovations in digital health means that users can now track their health continuously, as opposed to wasting time and money through periodic checkups. Wireless sensors can track vital signs in real time. Users can then download programs that analyze this data and make predictions that help you meet their health or fitness goals. Or, you can use social networking to instantly share this information your their friends, saving you the trouble of bragging about your low blood pressure during lunch break.

Another benefit to sharing data on a large scale is that it allows programs to identify risk factors for certain health problems, even factors within our genetic code. Through these means, digital health products allow for completely individualized care that is convenient and cheap.

Innovators in Digital Health

We have already seen large corporations such as Apple or Fitbit designing digital health products to monitor our fitness. But there are even more exciting products being developed by small, early-stage startups! Two examples from MassChallenge’s 2016 class are bosWell and mDoc. BosWell provides Medicaid community-based organizations with a free application that helps them manage clients and identify ones at greatest risk. The application also uses the data it collects to target at-risk patients for preventative measure, saving money and lives. MDoc is a company that aims to use mobile and web platforms to bring care to terminally ill people in sub-Saharan Africa.

These companies demonstrate the immense power that the digital health revolution has to make healthcare precise and accessible for everyone.

In this time of innovation, access to the resources of PULSE@MassChallenge will help startups such as these create new technology, revolutionize healthcare, and make the world a healthier place.

By accelerating digital health companies, MassChallenge furthers its mission to promote startups with a positive impact on the world.

Look out for digital health products on the horizon. If you’re a young digital health startup, apply to MassChallenge to use our resources at PULSE@MassChallenge!

• Andrew Barry, MassChallenge Marketing & Social Media

Originally published at masschallenge.org.