Indiana University has established a new spinout, Digital Health Solutions, to commercialise technology that will improve the quality of care of children.
Indiana University (IU) Research and Technology Corporation, IU’s commercialisation arm, on Thursday spun out Digital Health Solutions, a software developer focused on electronic health records.
The spinout’s first product has been dubbed Chica, an acronym for Child Health Improvement through Computer Automation, and aims to improve the quality of care of children across the country.
Chica endeavours to support paediatricians’ adherence to primary care guidelines and recommendations, which number in the thousands, by screening families in the waiting room through 20 questions answered on a tablet. The software then prioritises factors to be addressed by the doctor and helps detect problems that may otherwise be missed.
Paediatricians access Chica through a link embedded in the patient’s electronic health records. The information provided by families can be easily integrated into the doctor’s notes.
Digital Health Solutions hopes to expand Chica to other clinical areas and is currently working on a version for gastrointestinal specialists.
The spinout is based on research conducted at the university’s School of Medicine by Stephen Downs, president, and Tammy Dugan, chief technology officer. The technology has already been in use at Eskenazi Hospital, affiliated with IU, for more than a dozen years.
