NovaUCD’s Akkure shares Covid-19 online risk assessment tool

20 Mar 2020

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Akkure’s CovidMedBot aims to offer a personalised online risk assessment for Covid-19 and provide guidance to users.

Irish digital health start-up Akkure has launched a new service called CovidMedBot, which provides an online personalised risk assessment and guideline tool for use during the Covid-19 pandemic.

The start-up, based at NovaUCD in University College Dublin (UCD), has developed a platform that uses risk assessment guidelines in line with HSE recommendations and advice from the World Health Organization (WHO) and the Centers for Disease Control (CDC) regarding Covid-19.

Akkure’s risk assessment tool aims to give users an idea of their status and the impact the virus could have on their health within 90 seconds. You can try it out here.

Built for a rapidly evolving situation

Akkure has said that the CovidMedBot can be used by individuals who feel uncertain and need more information before taking further action.

Akkure founder Prof Oran Rigby said: “Our CovidMedBot offers an efficient and reliable service benefitting the public, corporate sector, and Irish governing bodies during this high strain period for the health service.

“The CovidMedBot’s data is based on the latest scientifically validated information from the HSE, the CDC and the WHO, along with doctors and medical experts at St Vincent’s University Hospital.”

Alleviating some of the pressure

Rigby added: “We are confident the service will put users in a better position to handle the current situation whilst alleviating the HSE of a significant amount of pressure.”

He advised employers and employees to use the tool to ease anxieties about the impact that the virus could have on their health and to find out what help is available and what the next recommended steps to take are.

“The Irish health system is currently under immense pressure,” Rigby said. “Understandably, this is a cause for worry and confusion. Rather than overwhelming GP practices in this time of crisis, the CovidMedBot can act as the first port of call by allowing patients to gauge their personal risk and, crucially, what actions they can take based on their individualised risk assessment.”

Akkure also plans to release specialised MedBots to hospitals and medical practices, each tailored to the facility’s individual needs to assist with triaging patients and relieve some of the pressure during the Covid-19 outbreak.

Kelly Earley was a journalist with Silicon Republic

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