PositiveID, IMMA Health Link for Mariners
PositiveID Corporation (NASDAQ: PSID) announced that it has partnered with the International Maritime Medical Association (IMMA), a trade association that promotes the health and medical interests of seafarers, port workers and cruise passengers worldwide, to offer PositiveID's Health Link personal health record (PHR) to approximately one and a half million seafarers per year on a paid subscription basis. The company will launch the partnership with a pilot program for up to 1,000 seafarers in Antwerp, Belgium and Manila, Philippines. Upon successful completion and review of the pilot program, PositiveID will offer its Health Link PHR to millions of seafarers and port workers per year, on a paid subscription basis.
Health Link is an electronic, web-based PHR that enables a patient to manage his or her personal medical information and history from anywhere there is an internet connection. Health Link, engineered to be interoperable with Microsoft HealthVault, Google Health and various electronic medical records systems, connects patients to personalized health education and provides online connectivity to caregivers and physicians. Through reminders and alerts that can be tailored to suit an individual's unique circumstances, users are reminded of important actions and receive suggestions to better manage their health. This includes everything from refilling prescriptions on time, appointment reminders, drug interaction warnings, and tips for preventative actions.
As the global trade association for the maritime medical sector, IMMA is the primary source for medical advice and health services on pre-employment medical examinations (PEME), which are required for all seafarers before embarking on any voyage, and provides guidance on the operation of doctors and hospitals in the major ports of call throughout the world. Its members provide this all important service to the world's ship owners, managers and cruise lines as well as port and terminal operators.
When sailors become ill, they will visit a doctor at their next port of call. The doctor, typically, does not have access to the sailors' PEME, nor does the doctor know the patient's medical history, and will therefore conduct a thorough, costly examination prior to prescribing treatment. This expensive and burdensome repetition of medical procedures can be eliminated by using Health Link, which stores the sailors initial PEME and subsequent medical procedures.
