Bettina Experton is the CEO, President and founder of Humetrix, a company that specialises in innovative IT solutions to empower healthcare consumers. Its mHealth applications, including iBlueButton and ICEBlueButton, have transformed the healthcare experience for patients by putting their own data in the palms of their hands. The advantages of designing mobile solutions for patients is that costs can be better controlled, care is coordinated more efficiently, and safety is increased. Experton is also a physician with MD and MPH credentials, having trained in the fields of internal medicine, paediatrics and public health.
Blue Button Technology
Experton was instrumental in the development of the patient-centric Blue Button, a clickable button that allows patients to download their own medical records, in digital format, from a website offered by health services providers including physicians, insurers and pharmacies. This direct access to health information permits patients to learn from it, verify it, and share it with others at their own discretion. Experton is actively engaged in the Federal Blue Button Initiative, which advocates for healthcare data exchange that is mediated by consumers.
The iBlueButton makes it possible for users use their smartphones to securely download healthcare records (including lab results, prescriptions and claims data) from a number of agencies, including Medicare and the VA. To protect against hacking, the records are encrypted and stored on the mobile device, rather than in the cloud. A user-friendly graphics interface makes the raw data readable and understandable. This also allows patients to present a complete picture of available medical records to care providers on the spot, instead of having to repeat procedures, thereby reducing costs and the risk of errors.
Other mobile apps offered by Humetrix are ICEBlueButton and SOS QR, both of which will be showcased at the Federal Mobile Computing Summit on 17 and 18 February in Washington, DC. ICEBlueButton lets users create an ICE (in case of emergency) record in their smartphones. The app then generates a QR code that is unique to the user. Emergency responders can scan the code for instant access to the individual's ICE record so that emergency contacts can be notified. The SOS QR app allows users to alert their emergency contacts with the touch of a button, a valuable tool to have in case of a disaster. In case the user is incapacitated and unable to call for help, the app allows emergency responders and doctors to access users’ health data, and sends an alert to emergency contacts.
Policy Achievements
Experton’s research on health services for the frail elderly resulted in major federal legislation related to managed care, including Medicare. She has also served as a national healthcare policy advisor in the US, France and China. She was a Public Health Officer for the State of California, and is an Adjunct Professor at the University of California San Diego School of Medicine. She is a permanent member of the Faculty of the School of Medicine in Paris, France, where she completed her training in Internal Medicine. As a healthcare IT advisor to the French Ministry of Health, she helped to design the web-based, smart card-accessible individual health record that is newly available to French citizens and their doctors.
Humetrix is certified by the National Women Business Owners Corporation (NWBOC) and is a Women Business Enterprise (WBE).
Sources: Bloomberg Business, Humetrix
Image Credit: mHealth News
