Nearly nine million people died of cancer in 2015 worldwide,
according to the World Health Organization. The institution has warned of a
lack of treatment: in 2017, less than 30% of developing countries administered
it. In addition, each patient needs a specific treatment that must be monitored
to avoid complications.
Half of the Finnish family of Lauri Sippola
are doctors and the other half are engineers, like him. The young man explains, "Probably because of this background, I always had, one way or another, a
passion for the intersection between healthcare and technology." From this
passion comes Kaiku
Health, a digital platform already used in hospitals in several European
countries to improve the quality of life of cancer patients. This work has
allowed Sippola to become one of the winners of Innovators Under 35 Europe from MIT Technology Review.
Kaiku's algorithms monitor treatments for over
25 different types of cancer. With the data it collects and processes through
machine learning, the platform predicts the evolution of treatments. "The
oncologist has the information of what could happen next and in this way
supports and instructs the patient in a more personalized way. This methodical
digital monitoring has helped patients better understand their own situation
and progress and thus be more informed," explains Sippola.
A mobile application 'interviews' the user to
learn more about the patient's illness: what symptoms exist, what the treatment is,
and so on. The oncologists receive the data as well as a notification if
something unexpected happens. Through this method, they can change the
treatment or care of the patient. Thus, the platform
reduces the work of healthcare professionals and prioritizes the decisions
they have to make, including consultation time. In addition, the data
helps "the entire scientific community" to develop combinations of
therapies.
Kaiku
Health, whose business model is Software as a Service or SaaS, has offices in
Finland, Sweden, and Germany. The platform is already used in more than 60
hospitals in these countries as well as in others throughout Switzerland and
Italy. In addition, the company collaborates with pharmaceutical and other
biotechnology companies specializing in data. Sippola explains that they not
only want to expand in Europe, but also in the United States. The Finnish
innovator is proud to say, "We have been able to help in the daily life of
these patients by giving them a secure digital application and a connection to
their professionals, which improves their sense of security and quality of
life."
Livindas Oy's CEO and member of the Innovators Under 35 Europe 2019 jury, Tiina Hynninen, believes that the technology, already being used in more than sixty European hospitals, "is an excellent demonstration of the need for and success of a monitoring platform for cancer patients".
By José Manuel Blanco
Translation: Brian Bostwick
