Vibrent Health, a Fairfax-based healthtech and research company, has developed a new tool that could streamline Covid-19 screening, testing and contact tracing. The Broad Assessment and Symptom Identification System (BASIS) is an AI-driven virtual symptom screening application that can screen and test people for Covid-19 from any internet-enabled device.
Widespread screening and testing continue to be essential to mitigate the spread of Covid-19. But, as people return to the office, the demand for testing has increased causing a nationwide testing shortage. Since at-home rapid tests are still not widely available, most people are still getting tested in-person and putting a strain on the test supply chain. That’s where Vibrent Health’s new BASIS platform comes in.
BASIS is a user-friendly application that uses screening questionnaires consumers can fill out on a mobile device or desktop computer. The system uses more than four million data points to calculate how likely it is for a user to have contracted the virus, including data from federal databases and fellow users. If a user’s probability of having Covid is high, BASIS can send a test kit to their home. It also offers optional contract tracing to prevent the virus from spreading further.
“We are seeing that consumers can use the on-screen, self-explanatory tool effectively,” Vibrent CEO Praduman “PJ” Jain said in a statement. “They are able to input their symptoms, use the self-administered home test and get their results quickly. These capabilities can play an important role in the fight against Covid-19 by making it simpler to identify those who are infected.”
Because the new tool can be used from mobile devices or desktop computers, it’s easier to use, especially for people who might not otherwise be able to go to a physical location for testing. Vibrent says this attracts a large, diverse population.
“This tool can improve [the] efficiency of patient triage and preserve much-needed resources,” Farrokh Alemi, a professor at George Mason University who collaborated with Vibrent Health to develop BASIS, said in a statement. “It can reduce unnecessary in-person visits to health care providers, which will assist healthcare facilities in managing their pandemic response more effectively.”
BASIS’ launch comes after the Biden Administration announced a $70 million acceleration program for at-home test production. Home test kits aren’t currently widely available and those who can get their hands on them often have to pay anywhere between $20 and $125 per kit.
Vibrent’s overall mission is to give healthcare researchers more tools to optimize human health. In addition to BASIS, the company offers precision technology and digital tools through its Digital Health Solutions Platform. The platform also provides tools for participant recruitment and engagement, communication and more.
