Babylon, which gives individuals access to instant consultations with selected clinicians and enables them to have their healthcare questions answered by a registered clinician, was recognised by judges as breaking new ground in delivering healthcare in a simple and efficient way.
An exhibition of the 24 winners and finalists of the AXA PPP Health Tech & You Awards are on display at the Showcase exhibition at the Design Museum in London until 26 April, 2015.
Helen Hamlyn Centre for Design deputy director Rama Gheerawo said: “Out of all the entries, Babylon has the potential to reach the most amount of people and uses technology in a way that humanises rather than frustrates. It brings the best of online services into the healthcare space, giving users autonomy, control and sight of their own health. It crosses age, gender, social spectrum, lifestyle etc. and whilst it does not replace doctors it will make managing personal healthcare incredibly convenient and simple.”
Devices that enable smartphones to carry out ear and eye examinations won the ‘Signs and symptoms’ category at the awards. The devices, developed by Cupris Health, use clip-on attachments that connect to a web-based service, allowing clinical information to be securely transmitted between healthcare practitioners and their patients. Cupris Health’s otoscope, for ear examinations, and ophthalmoscope, for eye examinations, capture and securely store in the Cloud, clinical images and patient data for sharing between clinicians.
Innovate UK head of health and care Dr Zahid Latif said: “We selected Cupris Health’s product because it is a simple idea with broad applicability. It offers an excellent way of dealing with childhood ear infections, and has the capacity to break down barriers between patient and GP. The ability to manufacture cheaply and ship to remote areas is both fascinating and useful.”
The Keep Me Healthy category was won by Brush DJ, an app for getting children to brush their teeth properly, while the Best R&D award went to Elvie, a solution that helps women integrate Kegel exercises into their life.