DELRAY BEACH, Fla., March 01, 2017 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- PositiveID Corporation (“PositiveID” or “Company”) (OTC:PSID), a life sciences company focused on detection and diagnostics, announced today that its Thermomedics Inc. subsidiary (“Thermomedics”), which markets the Caregiver® non-contact thermometer, has signed the Patient Safety Movement Foundation’s Open Data Pledge to share its data to promote patient safety among a list of more than 70 healthcare technology companies.
The Patient Safety Movement encourages healthcare technology companies to share the data for which their products are purchased. They do so without disclosing any proprietary algorithms or protected data, subject to applicable patient privacy laws. The Open Data Pledge is designed to foster a marketplace of data analytics to encourage entrepreneurs to develop novel uses of health data that will improve patient safety and reduce preventable deaths. If enough medical technology companies share the data, it allows engineers and researchers to develop predictive algorithms that notify clinicians and patients of dangerous trends. The Patient Safety Movement Foundation is working toward zero preventable deaths by 2020.
Caregiver, which is FDA cleared for clinical use, is a professional grade, infrared thermometer for measurement of forehead temperature in adults, children, and infants, without contact. It delivers an oral-equivalent temperature directly from the forehead in one to two seconds. Since there is no skin contact and Caregiver does not require probe cover supplies, it reduces the risk of cross-contamination, which is an increasing concern, and saves healthcare facilities the cost of covers (as much as $0.05 to $0.10 per temperature), storage space, and waste disposal costs. It is estimated that Caregiver can offer savings of $250 or more per year per device in probe cover supplies alone.
“We believe Caregiver is a best-of-breed product due to its ease of use, accuracy and non-contact functionality,” stated Gary O’Hara, Chief Technology Officer of Thermomedics. “As our install base grows, pledging to provide data to help refine algorithms with the goal of improving healthcare is something we are proud to take part in.”
More than 3,000,000 people worldwide, and 200,000+ people in the United States die every year in hospitals in ways that could have been prevented. It is the 3rd leading cause of death in the US and the cost is close to $1.26 trillion. The Patient Safety Movement Foundation is a non-profit that is working with all stakeholders, including patients, healthcare providers, medical technology companies, government, employers, and private payers. Their annual World Patient Safety, Science and Technology summit presents specific, actionable solutions to meet patient safety challenges and highlights the hospitals’ commitments to implement Actionable Patient Safety Solutions and medical technology companies that have pledged to share data.
About PositiveID Corporation
PositiveID Corporation is a life sciences tools and diagnostics company with an extensive patent portfolio. PositiveID develops biological detection and diagnostics systems, specializing in the development of microfluidic systems for the automated preparation of and performance of biological assays. PositiveID is also a leader in the mobile technology vehicle market, with a focus on the laboratory market and homeland security. For more information on PositiveID, please visit http://www.psidcorp.com, or connect with PositiveID on Twitter, Facebook or LinkedIn.
Statements about PositiveID's future expectations, including the likelihood that since there is no skin contact and Caregiver does not require probe cover supplies, it reduces the risk of cross-contamination, which is an increasing concern, and saves healthcare facilities the cost of covers (as much as $0.05 to $0.10 per temperature), storage space, and waste disposal costs; the likelihood that Caregiver can offer savings of $250 or more per year per device in probe cover supplies alone; the likelihood that as Thermomedics’ install base grows, it will provide data to help refine algorithms with the goal of improving healthcare; constitute "forward-looking statements" within the meaning of Section 27A of the Securities Act of 1933, Section 21E of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, and as that term is defined in the Private Litigation Reform Act of 1995. Such forward-looking statements involve risks and uncertainties and are subject to change at any time, and PositiveID's actual results could differ materially from expected results. These risks and uncertainties include, without limitation, the Company’s ability to target the professional healthcare market; as well as other risks. Additional information about these and other factors that could affect the Company's business is set forth in the Company's various filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission, including those set forth in the Company's 10-K filed on April 12, 2016, and 10-Qs filed on November 18, 2016, August 12, 2016, and May 16, 2016, under the caption "Risk Factors." The Company undertakes no obligation to update or release any revisions to these forward-looking statements to reflect events or circumstances after the date of this statement or to reflect the occurrence of unanticipated events, except as required by law.