16 August 2019 - - US-based technology firm Excella has been selected as the primary technology partner of BEAM Diagnostics, Inc. to develop its medical mobile app for taking patient vitals, the companies said.

The purpose of the app, called Beacon, is to help medical professionals prospectively detect alcohol misuse and risk of relapse.

Through the combination of behavioral economics and advanced technology, Beacon helps determine if a patient is suffering from alcohol use disorder more efficiently than traditional methods.

Alcohol is the third leading preventable cause of death in the US, and 15.1m adults suffer from AUD, according to the National Institutes of Health. Additionally, only 6.7 % of those individuals received treatment in the past year.

Beacon provides medical professionals with a non-invasive, reliable method to determine alcohol misuse to help treat and prevent potential chronic illness and disease associated with AUD.

Excella's Extension Center is based on Virginia Tech's Campus where software development students will contribute to the creation of Beacon under the mentorship of Excella's senior software engineers.

Excella previously developed a mobile app with Homestretch called MySpot that helps address youth homelessness.

BEAM Diagnostics, Inc. is founded on the concept that self-control failure underlies a wide range of negative health behaviors.

As experts and pioneers in the field of behavioral economics and substance abuse, the principals of BEAM are leveraging decades of behavioral economic research to translate their work from "bench to bedside" helping to improve and prevent debilitating conditions prevalent in the healthcare industry.