Tag: Dermatology

Dermatology is the professional medical line of work that most commonly deals with diseases relating to the skin, nails and hair.

EpigenCare, now Skintelli- blockchain-based skincare platform using Next Gen Sequencing

EpigenCare is a blockchain-based personalized skincare platform with its own direct-to-consumer personal epigenomics test called SKINTELLI. The platform combines epigenetic testing with ingredient-based algorithms to screen for brands that are best suited for skincare tailored to your DNA.

The idea is part of a coming revolution in medicine commonly known as personalized medicine. The theme behind this is that there’s only so much you can learn about helping people on an individual basis using generic, one-size-fits-all-products. Instead, learning about individuals in order to help them on a one to one basis is starting to look like where the future is going.

You will never be able to help someone medically, whether its related to their skin or anything else with a generic product quite the way you can when the product is based on their particular genetic footprint, and this is the sort of idea that EpigenCare is focusing in on.

How the Skintelli- blockchain-based skincare platform works

SKINTELLI is a first and foremost non-invasive. Simply put, it’s an at-home skincare test for samples that then processed via laboratory-based next-generation sequencing (NGS) technology. 

The test disseminates activation of multiple genes, or lack thereof, which are directly associated with the control over skin aging, healthiness, and appearance a.k.a. beauty. The results? According to Epigencare,

…precision results which include information on your skin’s age, firmness and elasticity, moisture, DNA damage and repairability, cell renewal and regeneration capacity, oxidation/antioxidant capacity, sensitivity and inflammatory response, and pigmentation.

skintelli quick start
Source: Epigencare.com

Blockchain for identify management

Blockchain is leveraged to ensure ID security and data accuracy, providing “evidence-based reassurance” that privacy is secured. In short, each test is hashed once received, meaning any respondent can verify usage of personal data. Immutable ID verification provided by blockchain infrastructure enables the platform to match data garnered from SKINTELLI tests to commercial products.

skintelli
Source: epigencare.com

Skincare precision health market

There’s no doubt that there’s a huge amount of interest in skincare. Blockchain provides an ideal opportunity to personalize not only analysis but also treatment by allowing A.I. to process large sets of population health data in consumer-centrist, privacy first methods whilst still enabling complex trend analysis. Skincare is one of those things that is a huge interest for women wanting to look their best, but it’s also of significant interest to just about anyone.

After all, there are few situations where your appearance doesn’t factor into the equation in any way at all. Just about anyone can benefit from skincare for this reason. And even beyond just basic appearance options, your skin is the body’s largest organ, meaning skin health tends to have a significant effect on other aspects of health. Genetic skin conditions need specific help as a matter of course, but skincare is also very much affected by your physical surroundings and mental wellbeing. Insight from blockchain-based skincare research cuts right to the chase with NGS, clearly demonstrating how blockchain technology can further the reach of how scientific methods can be tested en mass without sacrificing validity or security.

EpigenCare recently won Johnson and Johnson’s Innovation Quickfire Challenge (JLABS) for digital beauty.

Team

William Lee – CEO

Adam Weiwei Li – CSO

Jessica Li – CFO

Ashley Pottash – Business Strategy Lead

Stephen Fiser – Development Lead

Advisory Team

Richard Wildnauer, PH.D. – CEO at NeoStrata (Business)

James Wang, M.D. (Dermatology)

Brennan Bennett (Blockchain)

Rebecca Fry, PH.D. (Epigenetics)

Tim Bukher (Legal)

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PetLife: Blockchain for Veterinary Medicine

In a time when blockchain is revolutionizing the security and accessibility of healthcare solutions, one company aims to bring those benefits to veterinary medicine. Petlife, an Estonian start-up partnering with a New York-based engineering team, hopes to use blockchain technology to offer telemedicine for pets.

According to Petlife’s whitepaper, 54% of respondents to a Health Industry Distributors Association’s study are willing to use telemedicine. And with people spending more and more money on pets, Petlife hopes to satisfy the growing demand for quick and secure healthcare for animals.

Petlife: accessible and secure veterinary medicine

24/7 access to pet care

The telemedicine model is appealing for many reasons. Firstly, it allows consumers to reach out to qualified veterinary professionals from the comfort of their own homes as soon as symptoms occur for their pet or farm animal. Petlife offers 24/7 access to a trained network of veterinarians, and claims that they will be able to answer a query within 14 minutes.

Using video conference and chat, pet owners can use the Petlife app to determine what’s troubling their pet. Users have access to various specialists: dermatologist, surgeon, oncologist, etc. During the consultation, the veterinarian will review the pet’s medical record, current symptoms, and prior prescriptions. After questioning the pet owner, they should be able to make a diagnosis and order a prescription.

Medical Records Security & Blockchain Technology

Petlife uses Ethereum blockchain technology to store medical health records. The Petlife medical record includes animal information, test results, immunization results, and personal info—any and all secure and private data. Their Ethereum-based “personal” blockchain will allow users to access their own pet’s data. With this personal account, the user can set permissions for vets and insurance companies, thereby maintaining control of their pets’ data.

petlife application

Blockchain will allow for an immutable record of any transactions that take place over Petlife’s network, while also providing the user with a centralized medical record for their pet.

Who does it work for?

According to Petlife,  the market for veterinary services grows up to 8% every year – making it a 30 billion dollar industry in 2018. With this in mind, it plans to appeal to many consumers all over the world. Starting with consultants: Petlife emphasizes the possibility of monetization in the form of direct sales and consultations of their services.

But Petlife’s marketing emphasizes the individual pet owner in their presentation paper. For example, if a consumer is far away from a veterinarian, they can use the app for quick assistance. Petlife also offers a “second opinion” service in case a customer doesn’t quite trust the diagnosis made by their veterinarian. Also, say your pet needs access to a common prescription? Petlife hopes to ease the process of getting a prescription through the app.

And it’s not just pet owners that can use this technology, but farmers and ranchers. Because diseases are a serious and escalating issue in animal agriculture, this could mean great things for agricultural safety. In fact, Petlife claims that their service will certainly help to combat zoonotic diseases that can spread rapidly on farms.

Token economics: the PETL currency

Like many industries that use blockchain, Petlife has developed their own cryptocurrency called PETL. Those who participate in their crowdfunding campaign will receive bonuses that will then be used for goods and services through the app. Petlife even plans to open an actual store in Zug, Switzerland, where PETL tokens can be used for things like animal feed, clothing for pets, and pharmacy medicine.

petlife application

Through the app, PETL tokens can be used to pay for everything from consultations to X-rays to MRI results. And as with every blockchain transaction, these cryptocurrency transactions will be secure, recorded, immutable, and time-stamped for maximum security.

Petlife proposes to bring blockchain solutions of secure, private transactions to the everyday consumer, allowing pet owners 24/7 access to care. This, along with a variety of exciting blockchain technologies, continues to revolutionize the way we envision healthcare.

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Blockchain Is More Than Just Skin Deep For Dermatologists

Is the $120 billion global skincare industry next in line to be transformed by the blockchain? Leading skincare specialist, Dr Anna Karp, is seeing this happen already in her work with Opu Labs – a blockchain startup dedicated to evolving the way skincare intelligence is shared.

Blockchain and dermatology for better skincare

Like so many other sectors, skincare isn’t immune to the charms of the blockchain. In fact, it’s one of those rare industries where there’s no real precedent set for data security – since for the most part there hasn’t been a universally accessible way of collating and sharing patient information.

Despite what many may think, blockchain and skincare aren’t mutually exclusive. In many parts of the world patients don’t have access to a dermatologist. The only information available to them is often marketing from skincare brands or limited advice from people they know. That’s why we dermatologists are continually looking for ways to expand their reach and use their capabilities in more scalable ways.

Skincare is no stranger to technology. The need for more accurate diagnoses, compounded by the growth of AI and telemedicine are creating a fertile proving ground for new software and hardware.

Inside clinics there are many high-end devices – such as lasers, ultrasound tightening devices, and microneedling equipment. And procedures can be expensive. In order to use the equipment to best effect we first need to make an assessment; which often means repeat clinic visits for patients.

Training AI To Diagnose Skin Conditions

While general telemedicine platforms provide data for scheduling, prescribing, and messaging, there’s definite need for more advanced diagnostic tools. This is exactly why Opu Labs was set up. We’re building a series of technology platforms on the Ethereum blockchain – including an AI powered skincare mobile app, which uses machine learning to improve diagnosis quality.

My role involves training Opu’s AI technology to recognize different skin issues – such as hyperpigmentation, wrinkles, and redness – and make treatment recommendations. We’re currently looking at images uploaded by users and highlighting various skin conditions. As more users upload their facial scans, the AI technology will incrementally improve. But that relies on us getting the data needed.

Creating A Value-Driven Ecosystem

While the use of AI alone doesn’t require the use of blockchain technology, Opu’s use of Ethereum’s smart contract functionality allows the secure exchange of patient data. In order to incentivize users and stimulate broader usage of its platforms, Opu has created its own value driven ecosystem; underpinned by an Ethereum-backed ERC-223 crypto token – OPU Coin, which will be the primary transaction unit across Opu’s platforms. While some 600 million OPU coins will soon be available during Opu’s upcoming ICO (in July 2018), patients will also be able to ‘earn’ OPU coins for a range of other activities; including taking part in clinical trials, product testing, and recruiting new community members.

Skincare is highly commercialized. The demand for data related to the efficacy of skincare products is significant. Consumers are always looking better skincare solutions, so there is, I believe, great potential value for a smart rewards system that runs on top of a trustworthy data bank.

Technology Will Complement, Not Replace, Dermatologists

Working alongside a strong medical team, led by Opu’s Chief Medical Advisor, Dr Dhaval Bhanusali, I’m confident Opu has what it takes to get skincare right on a global scale. We have an outstanding board of advisors and an expert team of dermatologists who are helping us train the AI. Also a number of clinics and doctors around the world have expressed a keen interest in using the platform.

However, despite the leaps and bounds being made, technology won’t replace dermatologists; it’ll enhance our capabilities in many respects. Better and more accurate data means faster diagnosis, bespoke treatment plans, and improved results, which will be hugely beneficial to both patients and dermatologists.

This is a sponsored article. Blockchain Healthcare Review does not endorse and is not responsible for or liable for any content, accuracy, quality, advertising, products or other materials on this page. Readers should do their own research before taking any actions related to the company. Blockchain Healthcare Review is not responsible, directly or indirectly, for any damage or loss caused or alleged to be caused by or in connection with the use of or reliance on any content, goods or services mentioned in the press release.

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MedCredits and Hippocrates: Diagnostic Telemedicine Using Blockchain

Blockchain technology seeks to connect patients with doctors on a decentralized platform to help reduce healthcare costs associated with office visits and middlemen. Several tech startups are racing to cross the finish line! One such, MedCredits, claims they’re the first blockchain powered platform that connects providers to patients worldwide on a decentralized network. Many in the industry anxiously await the announcement or launch date for token sale, and MedX token price. To receive the blue ribbon that label’s them as the first company to successfully integrate blockchain technology and smart contracts into current healthcare designs would give them a proverbial leg up on the competition.

MedCredits: Diagnostic Telemedicine Using Blockchain

Similar to other telemedicine startups, MedCredits desires to improve healthcare access and reduce rising healthcare costs. Developers believe trying to create a decentralized electronic medical record (EMR) is too difficult of a task to tackle all at one time, and rather approach implementation organically, growing the platform overtime by targeting medical specialties and slowly releasing software updates.

Instead of dismantling an entire electronic system and re-training workers, MedCredit team members are approaching blockchain-based telemedicine through integrating technology into readily accessible medical specialties, like Dermatology, to serve as a foundation for later application into other fields.

Dermatology is one of several specialties transforming the healthcare market by approaching it as a border-less, decentralized network. Diagnoses are largely based upon subjective descriptions and examination of skin, which Dermatologists agree can safely be accomplished with photographs and clear patient descriptions via smartphones.

medcredits

How It Works

MedCredits, built from the OpenBazzar code-based system, is working to seamlessly integrate Hippocrates, a user-friendly app connecting Dermatologists with their patients, on the MedCredits platform. OpenBazzar is a decentralized peer-to-peer sharing platform for goods and information. Hippocrates is a user-friendly app on the MedCredits platform, where providers and patients meet to discuss their skin concerns.

  • Global Network ~ Borderless access to Dermatologists! MedCredits’ goal is to globalize medicine!
  • Instant Connection ~ Hippocrates is a user-friendly application, prompting patients through each step to submit cases, receive diagnosis and hear treatment recommendations with the touch of a button.
  • Payment ~ Patients pay using MEDX, or ERC20 tokens, secured on Ethereum blockchain and regulated by self-executing smart contracts to track the automated transactions.
  • Diagnosis ~ After successful transaction, patients receive diagnosis and recommendations from licensed medical professionals without ever having to leave their environment!

Advantages

MedCredits opens up hospital doors globally, providing borderless patient access to physicians, assisting to remove geographical barriers to clinics, and improving health outcomes worldwide. Overtime, MedCredits hopes to extend its reach to other medical specialties, such as Cardiology and Neurology, to interconnect EMR with other departments and hopefully global systems.

  • Allows for physicians to access demographics who have limited mobility or means to attend regular appointments.
  • Records are available through secured access, giving patients the keys for their health!
  • Patients are given access to healthcare professionals for diagnosis, referral or treatment anywhere, at anytime!

Disadvantages

Research reveals that people spend over 90% of their free time on applications, though this doesn’t necessarily mean we should encourage it. Incentivizing patients through leaving star ratings, may impact an insurance company’s decision to provide coverage or include clinics in their network. This has possible ramifications on who is able to receive treatments locally, or be made to rely on smart technologies alone.

People as Links 

It’s undeniable that aspects of telemedicine and blockchain technology help to streamline healthcare processes. Studies may show that more people are comfortable interacting through a screen. Admittedly, it’s difficult to untangle persons with technology, as one will often times support the other. Companies like MedCredits make telemedicine possible, and with some more research, can hopefully help us drive our health forward into the future!

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