Note: I had stopped writing posts in 2017. Started again in late-2024, mostly for AI.
SugarStats is a hawaii-based startup inspired by one diabetics' unfulfilled need to manage his disease data better. Marston Alfred (the site's creator) found the online diabetes management solutions boring and inaccessible, so he embarked on crating a clean, user-friendly website where diabetes could track their sugar levels and network with other affected individuals. They have various...
Fitbit is a startup trying to leverage the rising wellness trend- they manufacture a small device that you can wear throughout the day to find out how much physical activity you did, how well you slept etc. The tiny device sells for $99 and contains a motion sensor (like the Nintendo Wii) that converts 3D motion data into useful interpretations about your lifestyle. In a 7-day period, whenever...
I'm not a fan of direct to consumer genetic testing, but that market is hard to ingore now. deCODEme (excellent name choice, btw) will analyze your genetic information, store it securely and provide you with updates on your genetic profile "as new knowledge becomes available in the field". There is no doubt that our genes hold valuable information that can help predict and treat diseases. There...
WebDiet is an online weight management tool that can help its users eat smarter and healthier. Its a service that proactively sends location-based, customized meal suggestions directly to mobile devices and helps keep track of what you eat. The ides has potential. GPS-based real-time meal recommendations based on your daily intake requirements and goals can be a simple way to stick to healthy...
Another social networking take on healthcare- this one has a platform approach for multiple communities exclusively for providers and professionals in the life sciences and healthcare industry. Within3 aims to facilitate 'trusted relationships' amongst its members. What sets it apart from the usual networking websites is their business model (plus the fact that its aptly explained on a dedicated...
On 25th November 2008, the US Surgeon General announced a major upgrade to their Family History Tool. It's a part of the a national public health campaign, called the Surgeon General's Family History Initiative, to encourage all American families to learn more about their family health history. The web-based tool lets you create a complete family medical history including the closest family...
Another consumer-oriented concept. This one is specifically for patients on multiple medications who are curious to find out how they interact and what side-effects are related to which. DoubleCheckMD is an offering by a Cambridge, MA-based company called Enhanced Medical Decisions, founded by a physician from Harvard. It provides information around drug-drug interaction (including OTC, Vitamins...
Pain is a subjective symptom that is often hard to correctly diagnose and treat on long-term basis. It's the focus of ReliefInsite- an online web diary for patients with chronic pain. The idea is first to provide a simple platform to record and store pain-related data and provide easy-to-interpret analysis to patients. Secondly, this enables a longitudinal insight for providers into the key...
Ever since Google and Microsoft jumped into it, the PHR (Personal Health Record) space has become red hot. So while PHRs try to move from hype phase to reality, startups like ClearSense are positioning themselves to leverage all those rich, complex details about your health. ClearSense aims to help you make sense of your health information by providing the data analysis technology called REDBOX...
SimulConsult is a diagnostic decision support system started by Dr.Michael Segal. It covers 1,800 diseases that have at least one neurological finding in them. SimulConsult has an interesting logic behind it. Roughly speaking, its knowledge is derived from a 'computational wiki' that is restricted to physician users only. So its database is not only open for viewing, but users can submit...