A company called SonarMD has recently released its SonarMD Platform, touting it as a first-of-its kind, cloud-based algorithmic process for securely engaging, monitoring and managing patients with chronic gastrointestinal disease.

Developed by noted Gastroenterologist Lawrence Kosinski, MD, MBA, the application allows physicians to monitor their patients’ health status between visits through the ongoing use of electronic health assessment surveys. Using nationally recognized evidence-based guidelines, the app applies a Patient Reported Outcomes score to each survey submission, alerting the physician to potential downward trends in a patient’s condition. With early intervention, those trends can be reversed, resulting in fewer hospitalizations and enhanced overall patient care.

The first release of the SonarMD Platform has been deployed for patients with Crohn’s Disease at the Illinois Gastroenterology Group (IGG), the largest Gastroenterology practice in Illinois. There, Dr. Kosinski co-operated with Blue Cross/Blue Shield of Illinois to successfully lower overall healthcare costs while delivering better care delivery and outcomes.

“IBD [Inflammatory Bowel Disease] affects nearly 1.6 million Americans, with as many as 70,000 new cases diagnosed every year,” says Tracey Powell, SonarMD CEO. “While providing a powerful support and decision-making system for current patients and the physicians who care for them, SonarMD data will, over time, be instrumental in the creation of new and better care pathways for future patients and their care providers.”

Once fully implemented at IGG, the SonarMD Platform will be part of a national roll-out offered initially to practices specializing in IBD but with the potential of serving numerous other chronic disease populations.