Toronto, ON — This is by far the most submitted HxP story ever. I think the first senders were Alex Bragg, Joy Hart and Joel Gerber, but it’s kept coming in ever since. We credit the competing cool and ew-gross dynamics for the mass amount of interest.
Earlier this month, Movable Science launched Figure1, an instagram-like app for doctors to share and identify images of diseases and injuries for medical purposes. Its creators hope that it will support peer-involved diagnosing as well as ongoing learning and research.
The app is designed to protect patient privacy while crowdsourcing help when doctors need it most. Before an image can be uploaded, the poster has to sign a detailed consent form. Once it’s live, other users can find it by search or timeline. They can also favorite, comment and connect with the poster.
Figure1 supports hashtags for crowd-indexing. It also has some very thought-through features to protect doctors. For example, edited images are not stored on the user’s device – only on Figure1’s servers. So if the doctor’s phone is lost, the images don’t become a potential HIPAA violation. Doctors are also able to share in small private groups – creating a community-within-a-community.
Hundreds of pictures were uploaded in the app’s first weeks. They range from the dramatic — an amputated, gangrenous foot of a diabetes patient sitting upright on a table — to the more mundane, including a picture of a reddish patch on a patient’s arm. “I’m thinking eczema. Any other thoughts?” asks the poster.
Sure, the submissions are decidedly bumpy, lumpy and red, but each could also be the next clue in the puzzle facing one doctor and patient.
Figure1 is free in iTunes if you really want to see more.
Posted by: Leigh Householder
About the Author:
As Managing Director of Innovation and Insights for Syneos Health Communications, Leigh is responsible for building and scaling a global team of healthcare experts who together help life science leaders better understand the complex lives, influences and expectations of their customers. Specifically, they uncover actionable insights that fuel empathy and creativity; lead co-creation events that let marketers learn from peers, trends, and new possibilities; and help clients identify the most valuable and useful new customer experiences to create.
Leigh has worked with Fortune 1000 companies to craft their digital, mobile, social and CRM strategies for nearly 20 years.She’s worked for category-leading agencies in retail, public affairs, B2B technology, and higher education. Prior to moving to Syneos Health Communications, she held several leadership roles at our largest agency, GSW. There, she founded an innovation practice fueled by the zeitgeist and spearheaded digital and innovation thinking across the business.
Leigh has taken a special interest in complex healthcare products that can change lives in meaningful ways. She was recently a strategic lead on the 3rd largest launch in pharmaceutical history: Tecfidera. Before that she had keys roles with Eli Lilly Oncology, Abbott Nutrition, Amgen Cardiovascular, and Eli Lilly Diabetes.
A critical part of Leigh’s work is trends and new ideas. Every year, she convenes a group of trend watchers from across our global network to identify the shifts most critical to healthcare marketers. This year, she led over 250 experts to experts to focus on the most important changes in the commercial, consumer, marketing, digital and healthcare landscapes. (See reports at trends.health)
Leigh is a sought-after writer and speaker. Recognized as one of the most inspiring people in the pharmaceutical industry by PharmaVoice and Top 10 Innovation Catalysts of 2017 by MM&M, Leigh also was recognized as a Rising Star by the Healthcare Businesswomen's Association (HBA) for her overt passion, industry thought leadership and significant contributions in new business, strategy and mentoring.
