PontiNet

Millions worldwide rely on primary care, their first line of defense. Yet, a vast knowledge gap exists between primary care doctors and specialists. This asymmetry creates a silent crisis: 1 in 3 patients is affected by medical error, which translates to over 80 million preventable incidents annually in the US alone. PontiNet tackles this critical issue head-on, aiming to bridge this gap and empower primary care for better healthcare, globally. This problem is especially pronounced in these areas:

• Rural and Remote Communities: Limited access to specialists leaves Primary Care Doctors (PCDs) isolated when facing complex cases, leading to delayed diagnoses, unnecessary referrals, and poorer health outcomes. This affects millions worldwide, especially in developing countries.

• Healthcare Inequality: Underserved communities, both urban and rural, often lack resources and specialist support for their primary care providers. This exacerbates existing health inequalities and disproportionately impacts vulnerable populations.

• Medical Errors in Primary Care: PCDs, especially those new to the field, are often the most passionate about helping patients, they are vital to the healthcare system. Yet, even with the best intentions, they can be more likely to make mistakes, especially if they have less experience or training. The World Health Organization makes it clear: medical errors are a major cause of death and injury worldwide.

• Overloaded Hospital Systems: Without adequate clinical support, primary care centers over-refer patients to hospitals, straining resources and leading to longer wait times for critical cases.

Sources:

• Medical Error Reduction and Prevention: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK499956/

• Patient safety - World Health Organization (WHO): https://www.who.int/news-room/fact-sheets/detail/patient-safety

PontiNet is a patented clinical decision support platform. Here's how it works in simple terms:

What is it?

• A Digital Medical Network: At its core, PontiNet is a secure online platform connecting PCDs with a global network of specialists across various medical fields.

• A Virtual Clinical Co-pilot: Think of it as a real-time clinical support system for PCDs, providing on-demand access to expert knowledge whenever they need it, 24/7.

What does it do?

1. Immediate Case Consultation: When a primary care doctor encounters a complex or unfamiliar case, they can use PontiNet to quickly connect with the most relevant specialist.

2. Collaborative Diagnosis & Treatment: Through secure messaging, file sharing (including medical images), doctors collaborate to discuss the patient's condition, reach accurate diagnoses, and develop the best treatment plan within the constraints of the primary care setting.

3. Learning & Error Reduction: Each interaction becomes a learning opportunity. PontiNet helps PCDs improve their diagnostic skills over time, reducing medical errors and building confidence for future cases.

How it works & Technology:

• User-Friendly Interface: The platform is designed with a focus on ease of use, especially for busy PCDs.

• AI-Powered Matching (in development): While currently relying on doctor self-selection of specialty, our long-term vision involves AI algorithms for computer assisted image interpretation and optimize specialist matching based on case complexity, expertise, and availability.

• Data Security: PontiNet prioritizes the privacy and confidentiality of patient data with strict encryption and security protocols.

• App-based Access: Our app, soon to be released, makes it even easier for doctors to access PontiNet directly from their smartphones while with patients.

Unique Features:

• Free for Primary Care: This encourages widespread adoption, especially in underserved areas. Our aim is to bring medical excellence to the last corner

• Virtuous Network: Specialists are incentivized through social rewards, networking opportunities, and a sense of contributing to the democratization of medical knowledge.

• Data-Driven Value: Our platform gathers valuable insights into doctor needs, preferences, and clinical trends, which holds immense value for collaborating with the medical industry and driving innovation.

PontiNet has a multi-faceted impact, directly serving several key populations, while also having positive ripple effects:

1. Primary Care Doctors:

• Underserved: PCDs working in rural, remote, and underserved regions are often isolated and overburden, lacking the specialist support available in larger urban centers. This leads to significant stress, frustration and burnout.

• Impact:

  • Improved Decision-Making: Real-time access to experts enhances their diagnostic skills, empowering them, leading to better treatment plans and more efficient use of the limited  resources they have at hand.

  • Reduced Stress and Burnout: Knowing they have expert backup reduces uncertainty and the anxiety of practicing alone, especially for less experienced doctors.

  • Lifelong Learning: PontiNet turns every case into a learning opportunity, fostering ongoing skill development and professional satisfaction.

2. Specialists:

• Underserved by Existing Systems: Specialists miss the opportunities for collaboration, knowledge sharing, and professional networking.

• Impact:

  • Reconnection & Purpose: PontiNet provides a platform to exchange expertise, mentor junior colleagues, and contribute meaningfully, even at a distance.

  • Social Recognition: Specialists gain recognition within the network, fostering peer respect and enhancing their professional reputations.

  • Future Opportunities: Collaborative relationships and networking could potentially lead to future referrals or research partnerships.

3. The Medical Industry:

• Underserved by Changing Regulations and Mistrust: Pharmaceutical and medical device companies face challenges due to evolving regulations and eroding trust that make it difficult for them to connect meaningfully with physicians.

• Impact:

  • Rebuilding Trust: Our platform prioritizes clinical support, fostering positive relationships between doctors and industry.

  • Highly Targeted Access: PontiNet's segmented doctor network and data-driven insights allow companies more precise, relevant engagement with doctors based on specialty, location, and real-world needs.

  • Real-World Data: Anonymized data to uncover actionable trends to provide relevant, unbiased learning opportunities for Drs, enhance therapies, devices, and patient outcomes.

4. Patients: (Most Importantly!)

• Underserved by Inequity: Patients in areas lacking sufficient specialist access often experience delays, misdiagnoses, and unnecessary hardship.

• Impact:

  • Improved Healthcare Delivery: PontiNet directly leads to better care at the primary care level, reducing errors, optimizing treatment, and minimizing avoidable pain & suffering.

  • Healthcare Equity: Focus on underserved areas helps mitigate the gaps in care quality, bringing the benefits of specialist knowledge to every community.

  • Cost Savings: Effective primary care management translates to reduced hospital costs, benefiting patients, and healthcare systems overall.

PontiNet's focus on knowledge-sharing, resource optimization, and error reduction creates positive long-term effects on the entire healthcare ecosystem.

As CEO of PontiNet, my background uniquely positions me and my team to deliver this solution. As a “part-time” practicing orthopedic surgeon and the founder of OrthoKeys, my previous healthcare startup. I have firsthand experience working as a clinician in Chile, the UK, and Australia. This experience has provided me with a deep understanding of the challenges primary care doctors (PCDs) face, particularly in rural and remote areas where specialist expertise is scarce. Our insights from OrthoKeys, combined with my clinical background, enable us to create a solution that effectively addresses these critical issues.

Tinni Chauhdury, our CTO, brings a diverse set of skills and experiences to the team. Originally from Bangladesh and an immigrant in the UK and Australia, Tinni has a strong background in technology and data management. With a Ph.D. in knowledge management and information modeling, Tinni has conducted research and developed innovative data retrieval techniques. Her experience in commercial engineering systems targeted at data-intensive industries makes her an invaluable asset to our team.

Together, Tinni and I have a strong commitment to our mission of improving healthcare access and quality worldwide. We are passionate about leveraging technology to bridge the gap between primary care doctors and specialists, ensuring that every patient receives the best possible care.

We are also looking to incorporate a mission driven third co-founder, with expertise in business and commercialization in the healthcare domain to further enhance our team's capabilities. This individual will play a crucial role in driving PontiNet's growth and sustainability, ensuring that our platform reaches its full potential in the market.

Our team's approach is guided by the input, ideas, and agendas of the communities we serve. We understand that meaningful change in healthcare delivery requires collaboration and input from all stakeholders. That's why we are working closely with PCDs, specialists, patients, and other healthcare professionals to ensure that our platform meets their needs and addresses their concerns.

We selected the Pilot stage because PontiNet has been successfully launched in at least one community and is currently iterating on its design and business model based on the real-world feedback we have received.

We have conducted a pilot program in Chile, involving over 80 registered PCDs from the very north to the very south of the country. All thanks to word-of-mouth recommendations. Without any public advertising. During this pilot, we have assisted in over 400 orthopaedic clinical cases, providing PCDs with access to specialist expertise in real-time.

The pilot program has yielded positive results, with a reduction in hospital referrals by over 55%.

This demonstrates the effectiveness of our platform reducing unnecessary trips to hospitals that can be hours away from primary care centers, improving healthcare delivery and increasing the efficacy of the healthcare system. We have received great feedback from the participating doctors, indicating high satisfaction with the platform and its impact on their practice.

Overall, our pilot program has been instrumental in validating our solution and refining our approach based on real-world experiences and has been an overall amazing learning experience. We are continuously gathering feedback from our users to further enhance PontiNet and ensure that it meets the needs of PCDs and specialists.

PontiNet is driven by a mission to revolutionize primary care by connecting doctors with specialists in real-time, ultimately improving patient outcomes and increasing access to quality healthcare globally. We are very excited to be applying to Solve because we believe your unique platform can empower us to overcome critical barriers on our path to achieving this impactful vision.

Financial Barriers:

While PontiNet's business model has strong revenue potential through industry subscriptions, data analytics, and premium services, securing the initial funding to scale our platform and reach a critical mass of users is a hurdle. Solve's potential for seed funding or connections to impact investors would be instrumental in overcoming this initial financial barrier.

Technical Barriers:

Our patented platform hinges on robust AI-powered features to facilitate efficient consultations and leverage data insights effectively. Solve's network of MIT experts and potential connections to tech innovators could be invaluable in optimizing our platform's functionalities and ensuring its scalability.

Market Barriers:

Building trust and user adoption within the medical community is crucial. Solve's global reach and recognition as a platform for impactful solutions could significantly enhance PontiNet's credibility and accelerate user acquisition, particularly among doctors and specialists.

Cultural Barriers:

Encouraging collaboration across diverse medical practices and overcoming potential hesitations towards new technologies can be challenging. Solve's emphasis on fostering connections between cultures and disciplines could provide valuable guidance and mentorship in navigating these cultural nuances.

Beyond Financial Support:

While financial backing is important, Solve offers a comprehensive support system that extends far beyond mere funding. We are particularly interested in the opportunity to:

• Connect with experienced mentors: Solve's network of accomplished professionals could provide invaluable guidance on navigating the healthcare industry, scaling our business model, and achieving sustainable growth.

• Gain access to impact measurement frameworks: Developing a robust system to quantify PontiNet's social impact alongside its financial performance is crucial. Solve's expertise in this area would be immensely beneficial.

• Collaborate with potential partners: Solve's vast network could connect us with healthcare organizations, NGOs, and technology partners who share our vision and can help us amplify our reach and impact.

In essence, PontiNet is a movement to democratize healthcare access. Solve's mentorship, cutting-edge connections, and impact measurement expertise would be invaluable. We'll learn from the best – mentors, technologists, and changemakers. Together, we can make a positive life-changing impact for millions. 

Picture a young doctor, fresh out of med school, stationed in a remote village. Her stethoscope is her weapon, her knowledge her shield, but the weight of every cough, every ache, feels overwhelming. What if, in that crucial moment, she wasn't alone?

Imagine a real-time network connecting her to seasoned specialists, ready to whisper guidance, precisely when she needs it the most. No frantic calls, no endless googling, just instant access to the expertise she craves. PontiNet it’s not just an app, it’s a lifeline.

PCDs are the silent guardians of millions, their dedication often overshadowed by a brutal reality: limited resources, vast patient needs, and a gnawing fear of getting it wrong. This knowledge gap translates to misdiagnoses, unnecessary referrals, and a silent epidemic of preventable suffering.
PontiNet it's a patented platform, free for doctors, that smashes the knowledge barrier. It's like having a trusted co-pilot on every case, offering evidence-based guidance at the touch of a button. Forget outdated textbooks and unreliable internet searches; PontiNet delivers confidence, clarity, and better outcomes for patients.
But here's the twist: PontiNet isn't just about empowering doctors. It's about fueling a virtuous cycle. Specialists contribute their expertise, gaining recognition and social rewards in return. It's a win-win that transcends traditional models, driven by a shared passion for excellence.
The Impact: Imagine the ripple effect: fewer hospital overloads, reduced medical errors, and millions of lives saved. PontiNet's impact goes beyond individual patients; it strengthens entire healthcare systems.
And it gets even better: PontiNet bridges the gap not just between doctors, but also with the medical industry. Imagine pharmaceutical companies connecting with relevant doctors in real-time, fostering innovation that directly addresses rural needs. It's a collaborative ecosystem where everyone wins.
This is more than an opportunity, it's a real chance to bring medical excellence to every corner. Where doctors, armed with knowledge and collaboration, become the unstoppable heroes of healthcare.

Theory of Change Breakdown:

• Activities:
  • Develop and maintain a user-friendly platform for doctor consultations.
  • Recruit and onboard primary care doctors and specialists globally.
  • Foster a collaborative online community for knowledge sharing and peer-to-peer learning.
• Outputs:
  • Increased access to specialist consultations for primary care doctors.
  • Improved quality of care provided in primary care settings.
  • Enhanced knowledge and skills of primary care doctors.
  • Reduced burden on hospitals through fewer unnecessary referrals.
• Outcomes:
  • Improved patient diagnosis and treatment plans.
  • Reduced hospital readmission rates.
  • Increased patient satisfaction with healthcare experience.
  • More efficient allocation of healthcare resources.

Evidence Supporting the Links:

• Third-party research: Studies show that telemedicine consultations can improve access to specialist care, reduce healthcare costs, and lead to better patient outcomes (Source: AHRQ, 2017).
• Pilot program results: Our pilot in Chile with over 80 primary care doctors demonstrated a 55% reduction in hospital referrals for orthopaedic cases (Source: PontiNet internal data).
• Doctor and patient feedback: Feedback from doctors in the pilot program highlights improved confidence in managing complex cases and increased patient satisfaction (Source: PontiNet user surveys).

How PontiNet Creates Impact:

• Empowering Primary Care Doctors: By providing real-time access to specialist consultations, PontiNet equips doctors with the necessary expertise to manage complex cases effectively in primary care settings. This reduces unnecessary referrals, improves diagnostic accuracy, and ultimately leads to better patient outcomes.
• Improved Care Coordination: The platform facilitates seamless communication between primary and secondary care providers, ensuring continuity of care and a more holistic approach to patient management.
• Knowledge Sharing and Capacity Building: The online community fosters collaboration and knowledge exchange among doctors, leading to continuous professional development and improved overall healthcare capacity within primary care settings.

Sustainability:

PontiNet's business model ensures long-term sustainability through revenue streams from medical industry subscriptions, data analytics services, and optional premium features for doctors. This financial stability allows us to continuously develop the platform, expand our reach, and maximize our impact on global healthcare equity.

Our goal is democratizing access to quality healthcare by empowering PCDs globally and bringing medical excellence to the last corner. We aim to achieve this by:

1. Improving Patient Outcomes:

1. Impact Goal: Reduce unnecessary hospital referrals by 30% within the first year of PontiNet's implementation in a new region.

• Measurement: 

  • Track referral rates through doctor surveys

  • Total number of ED consults in a given area 

Reviewing and comparing hospital and local healthcare data, pre and post PontiNet implementation, where possible.

1. Impact Goal: Reduce hospital readmission rates by 15% within the ' first year of PontiNet's implementation in a new region.

• Measurement: Track readmission rates through hospital data systems and patient surveys, as well as PCDs involvement. This metric directly measures the effectiveness of care provided in primary care, a key factor in improved patient outcomes.

2. Enhanced Primary Care Capacity:

1. Impact Goal: Increase the number of complex cases effectively managed in primary care by 20% within the first year of PontiNet's implementation in a new region.

2. Measurement: Monitor doctor surveys on case complexity and successful management rates within the platform.

3. Building a Collaborative Medical Community:

• Impact Goal: Foster a community where 80% of doctors actively engage in knowledge sharing and peer-to-peer learning through the platform within 2 years of launch.

• Measurement: Monitor platform activity metrics such as forum participation, knowledge base contributions, and peer-to-peer consultations.

We acknowledge the difficulty in obtaining historical patient data, particularly in under-resourced settings. However, we propose a multi-pronged approach to address this challenge:

• Collaboration with Healthcare Institutions: Partnering with hospitals and clinics allows us to access anonymized historical data for analysis, where possible and with appropriate consent.

• Pre and post-implementation Doctor and Patient surveys

• Focus on Control Groups: Implementing PontiNet in a phased approach allows for comparison between control groups, without PontiNet and intervention groups, with PontiNet.

This data-driven approach ensures that we are not just building a platform, but actively creating a ripple effect that empowers doctors and improves patient care.

PontiNet is a distributed system. The core of the PontiNet platform is a MERN stack that will be deployed on AWS. The PontiNet app will be used to register specialists, and the registered specialists will use the PontiNet dashboard to interact with awaiting cases submitted by primary care doctors.

The registered specialists will be vetted to ensure quality and competency.

The primary care doctors will interact with the PontiNet system using WhatsApp initially. In the near future, we hope to create a dedicated app for the primary care doctors as well so that we can offer additional benefits. At the present moment, we are opting for WhatsApp for ease of use and onboarding, as most primary care doctors most likely already have WhatsApp on their phones.

We are two founders in PontiNet, Dr Jonathan Chernilo, an orthopaedic surgeon who is the domain and subject matter expert and Tinni Choudhury PhD who is a computer scientist and software engineering overseeing the development of the PontiNet tech stack.

The team has also been supported by student interns from Academy Xi and Queensland University of Technology (QUT) as part of their course work with the respective educational institutions.

The concept of PontiNet is about 3 years old and we started working with Tinni about a year ago. The student teams joined us in the middle of last year. We are working in ernest since the middle of last year.

At PontiNet, we are committed to building a team that reflects the diversity of the communities we serve. We believe that a diverse and inclusive team is essential for:

• Understanding the needs of our users: By having team members from different backgrounds and experiences, we can better understand the challenges faced by doctors in different parts of the world and develop solutions that are truly effective.

• Fostering innovation: A diverse team brings together a wider range of perspectives and ideas, which can lead to more creative and innovative solutions.

• Creating a welcoming environment: We want all team members to feel valued and respected, regardless of their background. 

• Our Leadership Team: Currently, our leadership team consists of a female team member from Bangladesh, our CTO and myself a male from Chile. While we are proud of the diversity we have achieved so far, we recognize that we can still do more.

Our Goals for Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion

We are committed to the following goals:

• Increasing the diversity of our leadership team: We are actively seeking to recruit team members from underrepresented groups, including women, people of color, and people with disabilities.

• Creating a culture of inclusion: We are committed to creating a workplace where everyone feels welcome, respected, and valued. We will do this by providing training on unconscious bias, promoting open communication, and celebrating diversity.

• Developing a diverse network of specialists: We are committed to building a network of specialists that reflects the diversity of the medical community. This will allow us to provide more effective support to doctors in all parts of the world.

We are confident that we can build a team that is truly diverse, equitable, and inclusive. We believe that this will allow us to better serve our users and make a positive impact on the world.

PontiNet operates as a social business model, creating a win-win situation for all stakeholders in the healthcare landscape:

Customer Segments:

• Primary Care Doctors (PCDs): The core beneficiary segment. PontiNet empowers them with real-time specialist consultations, fosters collaboration and continuous learning, ultimately improving patient care.

• Specialists: Contribute their expertise to improve global healthcare access, enhance professional networks, and potentially offer consultations remotely for flexible practice.

• Medical Industry (Pharmaceutical & Device Companies): Gain access to a targeted network of doctors for brand awareness and valuable market research insights.

• Universities (Medical Schools): Offer continuing support for graduates entering practice by providing access to a specialist network potentially including their former professors and mentors.

Value Propositions:

• For PCDs:

  • Improved patient outcomes through real-time specialist consultations and reduced unnecessary referrals.

  • Enhanced knowledge and skills through peer-to-peer learning and access to specialist expertise.

  • Optimized clinic resource management, especially in underserved areas.

• For Specialists:

  • Social Impact: Contribute to improving global healthcare access and make a real difference.

  • Professional Growth: Expand professional network, share knowledge, and enhance reputation.

  • Convenience: Offer consultations remotely, leveraging expertise efficiently.

• For Medical Industry:

  • Targeted Reach: Connect with relevant doctors for brand awareness and education opportunities.

  • Market Research Insights: Gain valuable anonymized data to inform product development strategies.

  • Efficient Marketing: Access a segmented network for cost-effective marketing campaigns.

• For Universities (Medical Schools):

  • Continuing Education: Provide graduates with ongoing support and access to specialist networks potentially including their former faculty.

  • Improved Graduate Outcomes: Equip graduates with tools to deliver better patient care and potentially enhance graduate employability.

  • Alumni Engagement: Foster stronger connections with alumni by offering them a valuable platform for professional growth.

Revenue Streams:

• Industry Subscriptions: Pharmaceutical and medical device companies pay for tiered access to the platform for targeted engagement with relevant doctors.

• Data Analytics Services: Anonymized data insights from doctor interactions are offered to the medical industry for market research and product development.

• Premium Services (Optional for PCDs): Doctors can choose to subscribe for features like extended consultation time or priority scheduling.

• Future Potential: Explore tokenization and VIP memberships to diversify income sources and incentivize platform engagement.

Key Partnerships:

• Healthcare institutions (clinics & hospitals): Facilitate doctor recruitment and platform adoption within their networks.

• Universities (Medical Schools): Facilitate specialist network inclusion for faculty and graduates, potentially offering continuing education opportunities through the platform.

• Medical associations and societies: Gain access to a wider pool of specialists and leverage their networks for promotion.

• Technology providers: Collaborate on platform development and integrate with existing healthcare IT systems.

• Data security firms: Ensure the highest level of data security and privacy compliance.

This multifaceted approach creates a win-win situation. Doctors receive crucial support, specialists contribute to a worthy cause, and the medical industry gains valuable insights and access. By addressing the needs of each stakeholder, PontiNet positions itself for sustainable growth while positively impacting healthcare on a global scale.

PontiNet aims for financial sustainability primarily through a dual revenue model: targeted engaging solutions for the medical industry and freemium services for doctors. 

Targeted Engaging Solutions for Medical Industry:

• Highly segmented network: We offer the medical industry a unique value proposition: a targeted digital network of doctors segmented by specialty, location,experience, and other relevant criteria. This enables precise engagement/educational campaigns directly reaching relevant doctors.

• Data-driven insights: PontiNet's platform usage data provides valuable insights into doctor preferences and behavior, allowing us to offer industry partners targeted educational and opportunities for collaboration to foster a stronger relationship with Drs and market research opportunities.

Freemium Services for Doctors:

• Core platform access: PontiNet's basic features, including real-time consultations with specialists and access to a digital medical network, will be offered for free.This attracts a wider user base, fostering network effects and engagement.

• Premium features: We plan to introduce premium features like advanced analytics, in-depth case studies, and continuing medical education (CME) modules.These features cater to doctors seeking enhanced support and professional development.

Evidence of Traction:

• Pilot success: Our pilot in Chile with approx 80 doctors and over 400 consultations demonstrates the platform's value and potential for user adoption.

• Government grant: We received a U$30,000 grant from CORFO Chile  (Production Development Corporation) validating the project's social impact and potential for further funding opportunities.

Future Vision:

• App launch: The upcoming launch of our mobile app will further increase accessibility and user engagement, expanding our reach and potential revenue streams.

• AI integration: Integrating AI for diagnostics and decision support will enhance the platform's value proposition for doctors, potentially attracting premium subscriptions.

• VIP club: Establishing a VIP membership program with exclusive benefits and tokenization could incentivize active participation and generate recurring revenue.