Mayo Clinic and Safe Health Group announced the formation of Safe Health Systems, a venture focused on reducing the cost of low-complexity care and commodity diagnostics at a mass scale. Through a proprietary technology platform, SAFE, Safe Health Systems intends to improve access to efficient, affordable treatment for common medical conditions.
This venture is part of the Mayo Clinic Platform, a strategic initiative to improve health care through insights and knowledge derived from data and delivered through platform business models.
Why does it matter?
The SAFE platform enables the rapid implementation of custom digital health applications, which combine digital provider services, AI-based care automation and remote point of care diagnostics. The absence of remote testing is currently a limiting factor for digital and telehealth treatment of common low-complexity ailments (e.g., sexually transmitted diseases, strep throat, urinary tract infections, upset stomach, strep throat, flu, ear infection, etc.). The current COVID-19 pandemic has amplified the need for remote diagnostic and digital care services.
SAFE’s initial focus is enabling testing for COVID-19, sexually transmitted diseases and common ailments. The platform is actively deployed for COVID-19 testing, linking patients, clinicians and test providers via HealthCheck, an advanced smartphone and desktop application. As COVID-19 vaccinations become available, the application will support vaccine workflow and verification.
On the record
“Mayo Clinic Platform believes that the future of virtual care includes on-demand diagnostic testing, including the tracking of lab results and proof of vaccine administration in support of the post-COVID-19 new normal,” said John Halamka, M.D., president, Mayo Clinic Platform. “Safe Health Systems, working with Mayo Clinic, will provide the suite of apps and services that universities, employers and organizations need to restart in-person activities and support new care models.”
“We are focused on creating solutions that help people play a more active role in their health care and live healthier lives,” added Ken Mayer, CEO, Safe Health Systems. “This new venture with Mayo Clinic will enable us to deliver these solutions to a broader set of individuals and organizations globally.”
The context
The SAFE platform emerged from the Mayo Clinic and Arizona State University Alliance for Health Care MedTech Accelerator program, a program designed to accelerate use-inspired research and improve patient care and outcomes through innovations.
Last year, Mayo Clinic launched the Mayo Clinic Platform, a coordinated portfolio approach to create new platform ventures and leverage emerging technologies, including artificial intelligence, connected health care devices and natural language processing. The Mayo Clinic Platform design includes an ecosystem of partners that complement Mayo Clinic’s clinical capabilities and provide access to scalable solutions. Mayo Clinic has invested in Safe Health Systems, as it is a strategic component of the Mayo Clinic Platform.