With its “FibriCheck” app, which allows heart check via a smartphone camera and finger scan, the Belgian start up company of the same name won first place at this year’s MEDICA App COMPETITION, held during MEDICA, the world’s largest medical trade fair in Düsseldorf, Germany (November 12 – 15, 2018). As part of a session at the MEDICA CONNECTED HEALTHCARE FORUM, the presentation by “FibriCheck’s” development team was voted the best among the 10 finalists at the live pitch on November 14. The 10-person international jury also elected the “Tonic App” (from Portugal) in second place and the “Veta Health App” (from the U.S.) in third place. All the finalists had already won against eighty submissions from around the world. Applications were received from Europe and North America as well as from Australia, Barbados, Ghana, India, Singapore and Thailand. Among the final top 10, who had the opportunity to present their innovations to the international professional audience at MEDICA 2018 were also applications from Taiwan and the United Arab Emirates.

The winning app “FibriCheck” has already been approved by the FDA. The app recognizes various cardiac arrhythmias with a smartphone camera and creates a report for both doctor and patient. The app is based on photoplethysmograhpy. This is an optical measuring method that utilizes the fact that scattered light changes in accordance with the amount of blood contained in the skin’s blood vessels. In this procedure, the smartphone’s LED flash is used to sufficiently illuminate the user’s finger. The skin scatters the light. The intensity of the scattered light vibrates with the amount of blood that the heart pumps into the illuminated fingers. As a result, the camera passes information on the oscillations of the scattered light to the app. With the aid of artificial intelligence, the app then detects if there are cardiac arrhythmias.

In Belgium, “FibriCheck” is already available with a prescription. The app is available as a free download. Doctors simply hand their patients a piece of paper with a QR code. Patients then use this code to activate the app on their smartphone. During her live pitch presentation, Stephanie Vinckenbosch from “FibriCheck” commented: “Users put their finger on the camera with the LED lamp and we take care of the rest.” Meanwhile, doctor’s orders are just one way to make good use of the app. “FibriCheck” plans to raise awareness for this innovative version of digital screening with previously symptomless users and offer them the chance to use it. A rather uncomplicated method to do this has also already been tested: A QR code was printed in a newspaper and readers could download and activate the app and to contact their doctor if any abnormalities were diagnosed. As a result, over 12,000 users created 120,000 reports within 48 hours. The app diagnosed atrial fibrillation in 136 users (1.1%) and 2,111 users (17%) showed other arrhythmias. Measurements taken by 191 users (2%) had insufficient quality for an analysis. “FibriCheck” has already received the CE symbol as a Class IIa medical screening and monitoring device for identifying irregular cardiac rhythms. What about the competition? Apple Watch may have a similar feature, however, using it requires owning a smartwatch. All “FibriCheck” needs is a smartphone.

The Portuguese developers of the “Tonic App”, on the other hand, address doctors directly and exclusively. “Our app offers everything doctors need. Doctors are burned out,” explained Daniela Seixas, CEO of Tonic App, in her presentation. Cost and time pressure are mainly responsible for this. “They have to handle a knowledge base that is steadily growing as well as a variety of interest groups.” This has created demand for a mobile all-in-one solution that enables doctors to find everything and everyone they need, and vice versa, allowing relevant interest groups to also find the right doctor. The app is therefore a platform for doctors that is similar to LinkedIn and gives them access to recommendations, case discussions, guidelines, coding recommendations, news, jobs and networks. “We are building a medical ecosystem using mobile phones, the internet and our partners,” remarked Daniela Seixas. The app aims to help patients with their diagnosis and treatment by more intelligently providing doctors with the often scattered resources they need for their daily work. This has proved a big hit in the app’s country of origin, Portugal. “Within only 17 months, we have achieved a market share of 17%,” stated Daniela Seixas. The app’s market share is even estimated to be 58% for general practitioners under 41 years of age. “TonicApp” is also already available in Great Britain, France and Spain.

Third place winner “Veta Health App” from the U.S. specifically addresses and accompanies patients: “Veta Health offers a front end platform that supports patients on their journey through treatment,” said co-founder Dr. Nora Zetsche. The app enables over 400 wearables to be integrated and offers information in real-time on the patient’s level of health. Adaptable supply paths enable patients to manage their level of health and to easily understand care protocols. “We give patients all the information they need during treatment., said Dr. Zetsche. In this way, for example, the adherence to therapy in medication can be optimized and undesired drug effects can be better observed. The app complies with the U.S. Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA), which lays down strict rules in order to protect the confidentiality and integrity of patients’ data. Now, the makers of the “Veta Health App” set their eyes on Europe.