blockchain

Rally launches new consumer wellness platform, Apple AR rumors and more digital health news briefs

By Dave Muoio March 11, 2019

Rally’s new benefits platform. This weekend at SXSW, Rally Health announced the launch of a new digital, consumer-focused wellness platform. The system helps users view, access and manage their employee benefits within a single interface, while offering employers a tool to drive health engagement. “Today we’re taking our Rally platform to a new level by making traditionally disparate elements of...

Photo by Carsten Koall/Getty Images

Google Translated discharge instructions, FDA issues new draft guidance and more digital health news briefs

By Dave Muoio February 26, 2019

FDA draft guidance on BCI devices. The FDA signaled its interest in the development of implanted brain-computer interface (BCI) devices on Friday with the release of a new draft guidance focused on the emerging technology. The new document suggests that non-clinical testing of the devices could precede clinical testing as a means to identify and prevent potential risks prior to use by patients. “...

Blockchain personal health record company rakes in $3.7M

By Laura Lovett February 7, 2019

Yesterday Embleema, a healthcare blockchain startup that lets patients share their data with stakeholders, announced that it landed $3.7 million in a Series A funding round. The round was led by Pharmagest and Techstars. The news coincides with the announcement that Embleema will be joining the Alchemist Blockchain Techstars Accelerator, a three-month program that gives startups access to...

BTG, OMNY pilot uses blockchain to get snakebite victims to antivenom quickly

By Jonah Comstock January 15, 2019

You might soon be able to add “preventing death from snake bites” to the list of things the blockchain can do. BTG, a British specialty pharma company, has tapped OMNY to pilot a distributed ledger-based platform to help track the supply of CroFab, the company’s antivenom. “We have the only antivenom for management of all North American pit viper envenomations,” Amanda Goltz, VP of digital at BTG...

Blockchain: What's the hype, what's the promise?

By Laura Lovett December 31, 2018

The healthcare industry has seen waves of hype around an array of technologies over the last century or so — each one promising to be revolutionary in its own way. Most recently blockchain has become the go-to topic in the future of healthcare. Industry players are promising the technology can link patients' medical records, verify medications and more, but like many new tools it has been met...

HIMSS19 to offer a look at how HHS is approaching blockchain

By Mike Miliard December 28, 2018

Federal officials are working on policy about the emerging technology deliberately, helping to set expectations for near- and medium-term healthcare applications.

Blockchain: What to know before investing in the tech

By Dave Muoio December 27, 2018

While blockchain’s overall impact might still be under contention, it’s hard to argue that there isn’t widespread interest among C-suites about just what the distributed ledger technology could bring to their businesses. Nearly three in four executives could see a “compelling business case” for blockchain, and roughly a third said that some manner of blockchain system was already underway at...