21 July 2020 - - US-based health technology company Electronic Caregiver has developed a web application in an effort to slow the spread of COVID-19, the company said.

The company's new Protector Initiative Infectious Disease Mitigation Program is a technology platform that prescreens individuals for symptoms and risk of COVID-19 before they enter a facility, such as a business, school, or house of worship, and events, such as a concert.

The Protector Initiative works on any device with Google Chrome and can be used by individuals before they leave home. It can also be deployed in the form of a kiosk for employees/customers to use on-site at a commercial facility or in any place where large crowds gather.

Individuals enrolled in the program will obtain credentials to log into the web portal using their personal device or a kiosk.

They will record vitals, such as oxygen saturation and body temperature, using a provided or personal pulse oximeter and thermometer.

These devices are essential in detecting a fever or difficulty breathing two common symptoms of COVID-19.

If recorded vitals are normal, or fall within an organisation's specified range, the individual will be permitted to enter the facility or event.

If any vital is abnormal, the individual will be prompted to answer a series of infectious disease risk questions based on the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention guidelines.

Once this process is completed, all data is securely routed to a designated individual or team of individuals for review. For example, an organization may choose to have this data sent to a school nurse or district medical provider.

This designated person will be notified of an abnormal reading and use the data to determine whether an at-risk individual should be permitted to enter the facility.

The Protector Initiative is designed to be very scalable, deployed at a low cost, and easy to use. Additional features can be added to the program, such as Electronic Caregiver's pocketMD telemedicine service, allowing users to connect with a certified physician remotely. The platform is available in both English and Spanish.

The Protector Initiative is just one of several solutions developed by Electronic Caregiver to help track and prevent COVID-19 infection. Other solutions have recently gained attention from the Albuquerque Journal, the Santa Fe New Mexican, and more.

Electronic Caregiver, based in Las Cruces, New Mexico, has become a leading and highly recognized brand for virtual care solutions and Remote Patient Monitoring services. The company staff size more than doubled in 2019 and is nearing 150 full-time employees.

Electronic Caregiver has invested more than USD 55m and 10 years into research, development and a staged rollout of virtual care and health management solutions for chronic care patients, child patients, and older adults.

Electronic Caregiver offers its solutions through a network of national home care providers and health institutions and team members.

Addison Care is the company's most advanced new technology, offering a Virtual Caregiver that deploys technology using IoT, 3D animation, mixed reality, Bluetooth, natural language processing, machine learning, visual sensing, and a suite of integrated electronics.

The company manages its business using an advanced proprietary enterprise management platform designed by the company, named Orion.

Electronic Caregiver and Addison Care are now involved in numerous official clinical research initiatives in clinical settings to further validate utilisation and efficacy in areas of improved outcomes, improved treatment adherence, and optimised continuum of care.