Ancestry.com Launches AncestryHealth, Files IPO for New Health Database Platform
[Today's Highlights]
○Ancestry.com Launches Health Database AncestryHealth
○ Mobile health app capable of detecting depression
○ The current global market value of advanced patient monitoring devices stands at $31.4 billion
○ Medical information technology simplifies workflows
1. Genealogy Website Ancestry.com Launches Health Database AncestryHealth
Ancestry.com, one of the world’s largest genealogy websites, has just launched a new-generation health database called AncestryHealth. According to reports, this new database is similar to Ancestry’s genetic testing and connectivity platform, AncestryDNA, and the company also announced that it has now tested over 1 million customers.
The company has also identified opportunities in genetic testing among consumers, with 23andMe and AncestryDNA, a subsidiary of the Ancestry website, serving as prime examples. Ancestry holds algorithm patents for matching users with relatives and DNA-matched ancestors, some dating back to before the 1700s. The company is now expanding these familial connections further by incorporating intergenerational health information. This new platform, AncestryHealth, is free and allows individuals—with or without an existing ancestry profile—to record their family health history, some of which can be traced back several generations.
2. Mobile Health Apps Can Detect Depression
A recent study shows that mobile health apps can detect depression and monitor high-risk populations.
Researchers from the Department of Preventive Medicine at Northwestern University have developed a novel mobile health app, aiming to reach 16 million American adults, as depression incurs an annual economic loss of $210.5 billion in the United States.
David Mohr, Director of the Center for Behavioral Intervention Technologies at Northwestern University, stated in a press release that an app called Purple Robot can detect whether individuals have depression and assess its severity without asking them any questions. This capability surpasses that of the vast majority of depression-related apps currently available to consumers.
So how do researchers determine whether users show signs of depression? The Purple Robot app monitors phone usage data, revealing that individuals who use their phones more frequently have a higher likelihood of experiencing distress. David Mohr stated, “It is highly likely that people use their mobile phones to avoid thinking about troubling issues, painful emotions, or difficult relationships.”
Researchers noted that the app also tracks users’ daily geolocation to determine whether they spend most of their time at home or occasionally travel for business. Studies have shown that these two factors are also associated with symptoms of depression.
3. The current global market value of advanced patient monitoring devices stands at $31.4 billion
According to Kalorama Information, the global market for advanced patient monitoring systems is currently valued at $31.4 billion. This growth is driven by a shift in the patient monitoring market from traditional healthcare facilities and home-use settings toward wireless systems. Products involved include video and audio systems for physician-patient communication, wireless communication systems for analyzing large volumes of patient data, handheld and mobile monitoring devices, and technologies that enable web-based access to patient records and conversion of data into Electronic Health Records (EHR).
4. Medical Information Technology Streamlines Workflows
The U.S. Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality has focused on two healthcare organizations that have integrated electronic health information technology into their operations.
Western organizations have launched the “Clinical Application Advancement Program,” which includes computerized physician order entry (CPOE), e-prescribing, electronic health record (EHR) portals, and standardized EHR hubs.
An eastern healthcare organization launched a new electronic health record (EHR) system to replace its locally developed platform. Researchers closely monitored workflows at multiple data collection points before, during, and after the transition.
The U.S. Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality stated, “Empirical research employed mixed methods, including ethnographic observation, time-and-motion studies, log analysis, semi-structured interviews, and focus groups.”
According to reports, the implementation of health information technology has led to changes in many tasks and processes. These changes include reallocating clinicians’ and clinic staff’s time across different clinical duties, repurposing workspaces, and improving overall efficiency. They also include reducing reliance on paper and enhancing the availability of patient data. This is primarily attributable to two factors: first, increased requirements for structured documentation; and second, heightened sense of responsibility among team members.