Avia Health Informatics secures key product trial

Avia Health Informatics (LON:AVIA) has reached an agreement with European shipping group Intresco Ltd, to trial its first product in the Odyssey MobileAssess range. The Odyssey MarineAssess system is designed to remotely assess the condition of an ill or injured crew member, and reduce the potential costs associated with diverting a shipping vessel.

“We are very excited about the on-board trial with Intresco and know their feedback and input will be extremely valuable in ensuring Odyssey MarineAssess completely satisfies the needs of the shipping industry," chairman Barry Giddings said.

Giddings told Proactive Investors: "This is a quantum leap for the company. This a global market, which means we will be far less reliant on the UK and the National Health Service."

By running the Odyssey MarineAssess software on a touch-screen tablet, the captain of the cargo ship can access fast and efficient care advice even when it is many miles offshore, with limited or no communication.

Furthermore, Avia highlight that the Odyssey MarineAssess can provide synchronised clinical summaries for onshore health professionals, who can review and monitor the patient/crew member. This could potentially avoid the cargo ship’s diversion from its course, to seek additional clinical assessments, and consequently save the “very considerable daily costs” incurred by diverting off a pre-planned course.

“We are looking forward to trialling this highly innovative system,” Intresco director Mauro Formentin commented. “We feel it will give us an edge in providing top class care advice for our seafarers and at the same time allow a more cost effective operation of our ships with reduced down time and off hire claims.”

Avia said the new product launch represents an important part of its international growth strategy. The company also emphasised that it has brought the product to launch ahead of schedule.

"We feel the new Odyssey MarineAssess product and the rest of the Odyssey MobileAssess range, which is designed to work with state-of-the-art touch-screen technology, will enable us to realise our objectives in our target markets both in the UK and internationally,” Giddings said.

Avia joined London’s AIM market in November 2009, following a reverse takeover of The Plain Software Company.  The company intends to grow the software business organically, acquiring clinical content and software products and working with strategic partners in the UK and internationally.

With the progressive development of mobile technology devices, the company anticipates new applications for its clinical assessment technology to emerge, with its software services being delivered on new mobile platforms worldwide.

Avia’s Plain Healthcare subsidiary is currently developing a range of ‘clinical decision support’ product, utilising the company’s proprietary software to assess patients. In addition to the Odyssey MarineAssess product, Avia is also developing several other applications for its software products such as the Odyssey SelfAssess which is designed for patients to assess themselves before consulting clinical services.

Odyssey ParaMedic, Odyssey PatientAssess, Odyssey Reception and Odyssey FaceToFace all designed to support staff, with varying degrees of clinical expertise, in the healthcare industry. Odyssey TeleAssess is designed to support telephone-based triage, and will be used by GP  out-of-hours services, GP surgeries in-hours, ambulance trusts and the MoD.

Avia’s Odyssey FirstAssess is being developed specifically for the Prison Service to help improve healthcare in challenging environments.