Coalition Launches to Fight Ebola with Mobile Health Information On Apps, Web

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Health eVillages, a program founded by Donato Tramuto and Physicians Interactive in partnership with the not-for-profit Robert F. Kennedy Center for Justice and Human Rights (RFK Center) has established a collaborative coalition of companies to distribute free information and timely updates on Ebola through mobile and web-based applications to millions of Health Care Professionals and consumers worldwide.

The Health eVillages Collaborative Coalition is being established to give HCPs around the world practical knowledge that can help them reassure patients, reduce some of the unwarranted panic surrounding the disease and offer clinical information on Ebola from a global health perspective.

The coalition's charter members include:

Health eVillages, which provides iPod, iPad and other handheld devices equipped with specialized reference and clinical decision support tools to HCPs in underserved areas around the world.
The RFK Center, whose global programs partners with individuals, charitable organizations, businesses and government agencies to carry forward the late senator's vision of building a more just and peaceful world.
Physicians Interactive, which will distribute information on Ebola to HCPs through its free Omnio(TM) mobile and MedAlert Pro(TM) messaging applications.
Healthways, the largest independent global provider of total population health management solutions, which will support information sharing through its various technology and coaching platforms.
MedHelp, which will share information with millions of consumers through its award-winning mobile apps in diet, fitness, fertility and more.
WELVU, which will share knowledge about the disease through its advanced mobile and web-based multimedia patient education and engagement platform, including the EbolaVUTM app.
Univadis, a free global digital service from MSD that will offer information on Ebola to HCPs through its portals in 80 countries.

Companies and other organizations interested in joining the Health eVillages Collaborative Coalition can contact Donato Tramuto at 781.904.4638 or donato.tramuto@physiciansinteractive.com.

Kerry Kennedy, the President of the RFK Center, said, "In programs in underserved regions around the world, Health eVillages has proven that it can save lives and advance care delivery.

With the global nature of the spread of Ebola, health care providers must be able to access this critical information, not only to care for patients, but also to take preventive measures so they don't acquire the virus as well.

We are proud to play a role in this critical initiative."

HCPs will be able to access in one place the coalition's digital platforms to review news stories, peer-reviewed medical journal articles, learning modules and newsletters on the disease. It will also include links to Ebola information on these sites:

The World Health Organization (WHO) and its Health InterNetwork Access to Research Initiative (HINARI)
The Centers for Disease Control (CDC)
The Journal of the American Medical Association
The British Medical Journal
The Lancet

The Centers for Disease Control and other federal government agencies have received criticism from nurses, the media and elected officials for not adequately sharing critical preventive and patient care information with HCPs in a timely manner to help limit Ebola from spreading.

The Omnio, Healthways, MedHelp, WELVU and Univadis platforms will be used by the coalition to reach HCPs across the U.S. and around the world immediately with breaking news, recommendations and guidelines related to the treatment of Ebola.

"It is extremely frustrating that there isn't a more aggressive, proactive and collaborative approach to distributing critical information digitally to health care providers in today's mobile world," said Tramuto, who is also the Chairman and CEO of PI. "The Health eVillages Collaborative Coalition welcomes HCPs, tech companies and other industry leaders around the world to share their expertise, knowledge and experiences. This collaborative, intelligent strategy, which provides the expediency in making Ebola information available through our combined platforms and massive reach to HCPs across the globe, will advance patient care, HCP protection and ultimately save lives from this deadly disease."