Case Study: Emitto - Creating trust and preserving privacy in healthcare data.
Emitto is tackling one of the world’s most challenging health problems while preserving Protected Health Information (PHI) privacy and building consumer trust.
What does Emitto offer?
Emitto offers a mobile app that allows users to record their symptoms together with oxygen and respiration rate, using only their smartphones, to determine their risk of exposure to COVID-19. This ensures an accurate reading not solely based on human interpretation of symptoms. The app uses an advanced privacy-preserving algorithm that dynamically adjusts each user’s risk level based on location information read from the Emitto App and stored in their own Personal Data Account (PDA), which users legally own and control.
How did Dataswift help?
Emitto faced the challenge of the general public’s significant concerns surrounding data privacy related to COVID-19 testing and tracing. Through their partnership with Dataswift, Emitto was able to completely change the relationship between individuals, their data, and the improved health outcomes the Emitto app delivers. A user signs up for a PDA and grants permission for the app to use the account for a clearly defined purpose and for a precise period of time. Emitto does not own or control the data, so they no longer carry the burdens associated with doing so.
Key to delivering a complete solution for Emitto was the design and development of an experience that users will enjoy. That’s where our partner, We Make Waves, came in.
"At the start of the pandemic, we were looking for ways in which we could apply our skills to help out with the crisis. As we’ve seen, one major concern has been how to achieve this without infringing on individuals' privacy. So when Dataswift invited us to join their collaboration, we jumped at the chance of leveraging their platform as a privacy-preserving backend. We were then able to focus our efforts on developing tools for Emitto, which could help assess the risk of someone being exposed to COVID-19, knowing that the complicated matter of keeping sensitive information private was taken care of.”
– Kirsten Minshall, Co-Founder, We Make Waves
What benefits has it delivered?
Emitto can now share COVID-19 exposure scores in a verifiably trustworthy manner, which directly supports its primary revenue stream. The data collected by Emitto is no longer a liability or a risk to the business. Instead, it is a high-value asset.
What are the next steps they’ll be taking with us?
Once the app reaches a critical mass of users, it can be used as a proactive contact tracing tool. Using advanced machine learning models and edge-processing powered by Dataswift One, the app will have the ability to continually measure and dynamically change each user’s risk assessment based on who they came into contact with, and where they have been – all while preserving privacy.
