LONDON (PRWEB)
June 25, 2020

Billon Group received a £50,000 grant in the Fast Start Competition by Innovate UK to build a distributed ledger platform to store COVID-19 related certificates to support workers’ safe return to the workplace. By the end of August, Billon will provide a fully functioning prototype for publishing, sharing and verifying a wide array of workplace training or medical test documents as a back-end system for any company or governmental issuer of certificates.

With businesses and governments around the world struggling to limit the health and economic impact of the pandemic, the solution addresses three key challenges:

• How to prove who has completed training or has a test result (including linking multiple certificates to an identity),
• How to ensure the privacy of individual’s personal health and work records, and
• How to provide proof in a hands-free or reduced contact manner.

David Putts, Chief Growth Officer of Billon, comments, “Billon wants to do its part to get employees back to work safely and for the economy to stay open. With this project, we want to encourage companies and health organisations to provide proper training and testing and to take advantage of new blockchain and identity management technology to equip people to prove they have an authentic certificate — while hiding private data from those that would exploit it. We need solutions that protect people and their data. This project will deliver such a solution.”

The prototype aims to be a plug-and-play solution that augments any existing issuer of a certificate by providing the distributed ledger innovation behind the scenes. Companies will be able to connect their existing systems via APIs, so there would be minimal integration. Users would be able to control their certificates on their mobile phones and show them, when needed, in a user-friendly way.

Public bodies, such as health organizations, could certify essential standards for returning to work — for example, that a worker has completed specialized training or has medically established COVID-19 immunity. Companies who train their workers, such as airlines, can issue certificates. Issuers of other professional, vocational or education certificates, diplomas, licenses, certified statements and other documents can also make use of Billon’s distributed ledger technology to ensure workplace safety. The goal is to allow certificate holders to safely go back to work while businesses have certainty that employees undertook required training or tests.

It’s an approach similar to that taken by other Billon clients, including the Polish credit reporting bureau BIK, energy company Tauron, and the Polish chapter of IEEE, which all use Billon’s trusted document management system to store and publish high-value documents on-chain.

While global debate continues over the privacy implications of many other approaches to pandemic tracking, the Billon solution uniquely applies distributed ledger (blockchain) technology to deliver immutable, tamper-free solutions designed to comply with GDPR and other privacy regulations. Certificates are linked to the identity of the user, encrypted with keys that only the user and the issuer can use so that other companies using the platform, or even the network administrator, cannot see any private data.

Another unique trait of the approach is that document validity can be programmed for a specific duration or other guidelines. The ledger ensures that each certificate will be automatically updated as the pandemic situation evolves.

Against the backdrop of ongoing social distancing, Billon’s ability to make documents available for trusted verification without the need for personal contact could reduce administrative burdens and overcome obstacles to re-employment. The ability to ensure quick and trusted verification is also key to providing a safe environment for everyone, limiting the spread of the virus.

Billon is one of 800 projects selected from more than 8,600 applications to the Fast Start Competition launched in April by Innovate UK. Grants provide technology and research-focused businesses resources to develop new ways to work; to build resilience in industries such as delivery services, food manufacturing, retail and transport; and to support people at home during the coronavirus outbreak. Other projects to benefit from the funding include virtual reality training platforms for surgeons, virtual farmers’ markets and other innovations born of the coronavirus pandemic.

Dr. Ian Campbell, Executive Chair, Innovate UK, comments, “Businesses from all over the UK have answered our call rapidly to meet the challenges we face today and in the future through the power of innovation. The ideas we have seen can truly make a significant impact on society, improve the lives of individuals and enable businesses to prosper in challenging circumstances.”

About Billon

Billon created the first enterprise DLT system which unifies national currency transactions, document management, and identity management into a single architecture. We solved the challenge to allow banks to use blockchain for national currency applications, and we also encrypt documents and data on-chain, unleashing the transformational capacities of blockchain technologies in the regulated world. Billon’s underlying protocol was designed for high-performance and to support tangible business results in the areas of Accounts & Transactions, Trusted Documents, and Identity & Data Sharing.

Billon Group Ltd. was founded in the UK in 2015, following several years of R&D in Poland. Its unique DLT protocol has been supported by many R&D grants, including the EU Horizon 2020 program. Billon is licensed to issue electronic money by regulators in the UK and Poland.

Billon recently completed its Series A financing, and its growing client list includes leading companies such as FIS, Raiffeisen Bank International and BIK (the Polish credit office). Billon has offices in London and Warsaw. For more information, visit http://www.billongroup.com.

About Innovate UK

Innovate UK drives productivity and economic growth by supporting businesses to develop and realise the potential of new ideas. We connect businesses to the partners, customers and investors that can help them turn ideas into commercially successful products and services and business growth. We fund business and research collaborations to accelerate innovation and drive business investment into R&D. Our support is available to businesses across all economic sectors, value chains and UK regions. Innovate UK is part of UK Research and Innovation. For more information visit http://www.innovateuk.ukri.org

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CHARLESTON, S.C. (PRWEB)
June 24, 2020

After weeks of living under a COVID-19 shutdown, Dr. Marguerite Germain and her team are once again welcoming patients to physically visit the Germain Dermatology offices for medical and cosmetic care. The practice, which had closed its doors due to the coronavirus pandemic, began accepting in-patient visits at all locations on Friday, May 1. They have resumed normal office hours, and all services are now available. Dr. Germain, a board-certified dermatologist in the Charleston, SC, area—along with her staff—provides an extensive range of skin care procedures. These include treatments for common medical conditions, as well as cosmetic options like injectables, laser treatments, fat reduction, muscle toning, and skin tightening procedures.

The protocol for office visits has been revised to allow for safe social distancing and cleanliness to reduce patients’ risk of exposure to COVID-19. The practice will proceed with measures to ensure the wellbeing of staff and guests alike, including regular deep cleaning of surfaces and the wearing of face masks and gloves indoors.

Due to the recent social disruptions, many patients have had their regular check-ups and elective procedures delayed. Considering the delay experienced by many people, now is a good time to have a dermatologist diagnose and effectively treat new marks or flare-ups on the skin that may be cause for concern. There are also solutions and advice for treating and preventing mask acne or “maskne” breakouts. Skincare products will be available for curbside pickup or can be delivered directly to homes.

In the wake of Skin Cancer Awareness Month and as summer begins to heat up, the Germain Dermatology team reminds patients that it’s especially important for potential signs of melanoma, the most lethal form of skin cancer, to be examined. When left untreated, melanoma can spread to other areas of the body and become deadly.

Appointments are booking fast because of the initial rush for the reopening, so patients who are interested in having a procedure are urged to plan ahead and schedule a consultation while slots are available. The team thanks everyone for their kind, encouraging messages during this time.

Want to schedule an in-office, virtual, or telephone consultation at Germain Dermatology in Charleston, SC? For further details, call the practice at 843-881-4440 or fill in a contact form to submit your info.

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MINNETONKA, Minn. (PRWEB)
June 24, 2020

Eldermark Software is excited to announce its partnership with Simply Connect to enable automated and fast patient lab testing and test results communication.

The collaboration between Eldermark — the leading senior housing clinical and operational technology — and Simply Connect — Minnesota’s first and only Certified Health Data Intermediary designed for senior care – will allow test outcomes to flow directly to the electronic health record (EHR) for timely review by clinicians. The testing will take place through our lab partner, Integrity Laboratories. The Tennessee-based laboratory is a leading biotechnology firm committed to antimicrobial stewardship through high-complexity clinical diagnostics.

“I’ve been operating in senior housing for nearly two decades and there’s always been an enormous need for automated lab test results,” said Eldermark CEO Craig Patnode. “The current process utilized by many can be a slow and inefficient slog through manual data entry and then waiting and waiting for receipt of results. We’re excited to offer this solution for automated, rapid, seamless testing and test results communication.”

Although the laboratory represents a small percentage of overall medical care costs, it is estimated that lab testing leverages 60 to 70 percent of all critical healthcare decisions (admission, discharge and therapy/treatment, for example). The laboratory represents 5 percent of a health system’s costs, yet it affects 95 percent of the remaining costs. It is especially important during a healthcare crisis — such as the current COVID pandemic — that laboratory testing and results communication be as efficient and as fast as possible to enable timely care interventions and treatments.

The integration of Eldermark’s electronic health record system with the interoperable capacity of Simply Connect’s technology is a perfect match for enhanced care team collaboration and is a recognition of the profound effect lab testing communications can have in care outcomes, especially among the individuals served by Eldermark’s core customer base: senior living communities.

The integration between Eldermark and Simply Connect works seamlessly: Lab test orders from the ordering physicians are received at the lab. Once the lab work has been completed, the results are pushed to the EHR where they are then easily uploaded and accessed by the clinician and care team. Patients and their responsible parties connected to the Simply Connect Personal Health Record app access their laboratory results through their app portal as soon as the results are released, eliminating time-consuming follow-up communications. And, for the senior living provider using the lab integration, the list of patient medications is available for cross referencing in order to analyze for possible interactions or impacts on laboratory values, ensuring that medications are up to data and appropriate.

Simply Connect has added its lab integration capacity to its many care management features that enable care team communication, automated alerts and more in service to improved care outcomes for the patient while creating care efficiencies that lower the overall cost of healthcare.

About Eldermark: Over the past 20 years, Eldermark has become the leading Electronic Health Record (EHR) and healthcare technology solution for the senior care industry. Eldermark partners with senior & assisted living communities to develop a comprehensive, mobile-friendly healthcare software platform that saves time and money while raising the quality of care. Eldermark’s healthcare technology solutions are designed specifically for senior communities and utilizes residents’ Electronic Health Records to create a data flow that results in improved care, actionable analytics, increased efficiency and reduced healthcare costs. Eldermark’s software engineers and support team include nursing professionals who understand the unique challenges face by community staff.

About Simply Connect: Simply Connect is a comprehensive care management solution that uses technology and services to transform the health and well-being of patients who rely on community-based healthcare. Simply Connect’s commitment to secure, innovative and intuitive technology means people in need can access important personal information easily and on-the-go, from an app that doesn’t take a medical degree to understand. The Simply Connect Personal Health Record (PHR) is an application that can be accessed from a smartphone or computer anywhere at any time, and compiles all of a person’s health information and medical records into one place.

For more information, please visit http://www.simplyconnect.me

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