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Why faster patient results matter in the coronavirus pandemic

The faster the result, the better the outcome. This is the thinking behind an online platform offering real-time access to coronavirus test results the moment they are reported in an effort to reduce infection in the United States.

The mobile and desktop platform PatientLynk 2.0, which launched on Tuesday, comes as the U.S. ranks as the country with the largest number of coronavirus cases in the world at more than 150,000.

The platform from Puerto Rican health tech startup Abartys Health is able to exchange healthcare information electronically thanks to its compliance with the latest in universal patient identification tech.

PatientLynk 2.0 follows standards set down by FHIR (Fast Healthcare Interoperability Resources) to allow for patient data to be securely exchanged between healthcare applications.

The platform follows on from new policy by The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS). The CMS officially renewed its calls in March for driving interoperability and patient access to health information through liberating patient data.

The ruling puts patients first, giving them access to their health information when they need it most, and in a way they can best use it.

“Using a patient portal to provide instant touchless results from the comfort of a patient’s home is the safest and best way to deliver test results during this time,” said Abartys Health co-founder Lauren Cascio.

Currently, U.S. healthcare is unable to provide the quick lab results required to make decisions about the critical care of COVID-19 patients. 

Even as rapid-results tests begin to work their way into clinics and labs, obtaining the results is a 24 hour or longer process. 

Many states are turning to call centers as a method for distributing results in the face of long wait times. However, this is a labor intensive and costly solution that also places at risk those working in call centers in the midst of a health pandemic. 

Founded in 2015, Abartys Health is working to solve the global healthcare crisis with smarter, faster care achieved by use of a unique, centralized data hub that allows for medical record portability.

Disclosure: This article includes a client of an Espacio portfolio company.

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