OpenApp, a Dublin software company has won a €5m contract with the European Union to develop a health app. The app will speed up the diagnosis and treatment of rare diseases across the EU.
The app will provide a platform allowing for consultation across hundreds of hospitals and research centres. As a result, thousands of experts, researchers and doctors will be able to work as a clinical team on urgent medical cases.
Vitro Software, another Irish healthcare software company, will help develop and manage the app.
OpenApp to expand
A health analytics specialist, OpenApp employs 32 software developers and a helpdesk support team in Dublin. However, the company is now looking to double its workforce.
Founded in 2002, health analytics firm OpenApp specialises in open source applications. It works with the HSE, the Ambulance Service and the Royal College of Surgeons in Ireland to provide clinical data registries.
Managing director Mel McIntyre says the EU deal is “a game-changer” for the company.
“It’s a real digital single market success story. It’s the first significant digital cross-border collaboration in healthcare that is supported by the EU,” he said.
According to McIntyre, the EU wants to develop a European Reference Network for rare diseases that provides a common IT platform for health teams across all member states.
“The idea that we can contribute to improved diagnosis of patients with rare disorders is very exciting. We have been developing patient-centric information systems for a number of years in collaboration with Irish health services and we now get to use this knowledge and expertise on a European stage to promote shared cross-border healthcare.”