Gen Breast Epic Center

Identification of a breast cancer gene mutation provides individuals with information on approximate cancer risks, and recommendations for risk reduction and surveillance. As part of the genetic counseling process, patients identified with a BRCA mutation are encouraged to disseminate the information to at-risk relatives. Information dissemination enables relatives to access genetic counseling services for predictive testing and also consideres missed opportunities for diagnosis other women. We offer a digital solution in which we empower the dissemination of information, stimulate family participation with users, offer education and safe tools, and summarize the process related to genetic screening. Our strategy is committed to the global transformation of a disease with a considerable burden of disease, improving diagnostic, screening and early detection processes in breast cancer. Our activities are committed to developing high quality research and scientific knowledge.

Breast genetic cancer mutation carriers holds important health information that is relevant for families and the society. Despite relevance there are several barriers to information dissemination among involved parties. This situation limits diagnostic, early detection and screening strategies. Among the challenges related to the understanding and use of information are: physical, social and consanguinity barriers. Some experiences have described that two out of ten women do not have access to necessary services such as screening and genetic counseling. Solving this burden enhances public health benefit of predictive testing and strengthens the knowledge of the scientific community

Our solution is based on the application of digital services for the construction of maps that relate to family groups with carriers of genetic mutations in cancer. Through these maps, personalized services are offered and educational and summary processes are carried out to access the pertinent services, among which are: genetic counseling, screening tests and diagnostic tests. Likewise, the development of social skills is stimulated to accompany the diagnostic and therapeutic processes of the carriers.

Our target population not only considers carriers of a genetic mutation related to breast cancer, but also their families and the societies in which they are found. Our development not only includes the development that strengthens the scientific community, but also the development of social and family networks that support the diagnostic and therapeutic processes related to a disease that has a considerable burden of disease. Likewise, our services favors the use of health care resources, not only in improving pre-screening conditions, but also in the economic and social benefit for societies when early diagnoses are made.

We are concerned with providing information, education and summaries of the aspects required by patients carrying a genetic mutation, as well as their family groups, potential beneficiaries of screening strategies, strengthening communities and experiences during the course of life.
Currently, most of the processes related to identifying beneficiaries of screening tests and genetic counseling present significant limitations, which prevent timely access to these services. In relation to this, we have carried out different investigations to understand not only the impact of these barriers, but also the conditions that favor them. our development considers the active participation of our users favoring their experience in the interaction with our services. These aforementioned conditions allow active recognition and give us the opportunity to adjust and develop solutions.

Our development is based on the principle of co-creation, this because it is necessary to understand the needs of the carriers. This understanding has allowed us to identify situations that must be resolved at the time of diagnosis, which we facilitate with our services. This process can be partnered to health care services, being able to carry out an objective tracking of other possible carriers, speeding up the understanding of the disease and the required approaches. Additionaly, our approach to scientific production, a improve precision in diagnostic tests use and to use of resources by insurers and government entities.

To date, our team is completing the construction of the prototype, proposed as the minimum viable product and planning its launch within a few weeks.

Our solution corresponds to an innovative bet based on the digital transformation of different processes related to the process and tools for the care and approach of the carriers and the importance of disseminating the information and identifying other members at risk.

Some of the characteristics that contribute to innovation are:
- Co-creation of development, in which different technologies are integrated to create a personalized approach that favors adherence.
- Integration of the particularities of the carriers and service providers.
- continuous learning that allows the personalization of services
- Generation of scientific content, strengthening the community and contributing to the problems of carriers
- Catalyzes processes for early detection in cancer related to genetic mutation
- Catalyzes processes for the selection of strategies for screening
- Potential for scalability
- Differential market immersion

Our solution has a key component and that is: technology development. Our web / mobile-based digital service represents the generation of complex algorithms developed from tools and processes in medical care, related to the care of carriers of genetic mutations. Another novel aspect corresponds to the integration of the different people involved in the process of diagnosis and treatment of women with breast cancer related to genetic mutations. We will be happy toPita Barros P, Bourek A, Brouwer W, Lehtonen L, Barry M, Murauskiene L, et al. Assessing the impact of digital transformation on health services: Expert Panel on effective ways of investing in Health (EXPH). 2019. doi:10.2875/09099. schedule a meeting to expand this information if you consider it necessary.

Pita Barros P, Bourek A, Brouwer W, Lehtonen L, Barry M, Murauskiene L, et al. Assessing the impact of digital transformation on health services: Expert Panel on effective ways of investing in Health (EXPH). 2019. doi:10.2875/09099.

Liu X, Faes L, Kale AU, Wagner SK, Fu DJ, Bruynseels A, et al. A comparison of deep learning performance against health-care professionals in detecting diseases from medical imaging: a systematic review and meta-analysis. Lancet Digit Heal 2019;1:e271–97. doi:10.1016/s2589-7500(19)30123-2.

- Charbonneau DH, Hightower S, Katz A, Zhang K, Abrams J, Senft N, et al. Smartphone apps for cancer: A content analysis of the digital health marketplace. Digit Heal 2020;6. doi:10.1177/2055207620905413

- Han M, Lee E. Effectiveness of mobile health application use to improve health behavior changes: A systematic review of randomized controlled trials. Healthc Inform Res 2018;24:207–26.

Does this technology present any risk? Yes, this technology requires optimal levels of quality to store information, protect the identity of users and access to it.

How are you addressing or mitigating these risks in your solution? Data security strategies and systems, access control to information and platforms.

Other risks --> solution:
- Type and security of the information offered --> High quality information, aligned with academic references and regional policies.
- Information privacy --> Coding system that does not allow the tracking of identities or susceptible information during the analysis processes.
- Confidentiality of information --> Levels and circles to share information, appropriate to the information and needs of the user.
- Ethical considerations --> Scientific products have high quality standards and approval by specific referents. In the same way, the implications and the intention to use the stored information are explained in detail to the user. Analysis products must consider aspects such as user confidentiality, sensitive information for vulnerable communities, among others.

Current number of enroled: Zero

Planned number of potential enrollees in the first year: 100

Planned number of potential enrollees in the first five years: 500

We seek to impact with our solution women with breast cancer related to genetic mutations, other related carriers, their families and their communities.

our objectives are oriented to:
- Quantify the family diffusion among the families of women carrying a genetic mutation with breast cancer, through the generation of maps and service algorithms.
- Identify family members who require screening and / or diagnosis strategies according to risk, executing the maps and medical services led to the digital transformation.
- Educate families and their communities on aspects related to the screening and risk of breast cancer related to genetic mutations, through safe and scientific educational strategies aligned with reference societies and regional regulations.
- simplify access to screening services, early detection, diagnosis and procedures such as risk-reducing surgery and genetic counseling. Favor contact channels for access to services and favor service opportunities.
- Evaluate our digital services in the community, adjust services according to user learning and expand our services to other regions (national and international). We manage continuous learning, interaction with our users and developments in academic and scientific guidelines from the design of our solutions.

- Quantify the number of carriers that become users

- identify the number of potential relatives who are candidates for genetic screening
- describe the number of family members who have already been taken for genetic screening
- Identify the number of family members who access genetic screening through the use of our services
- determine the level of knowledge about basic aspects related to the care and social environment of women carrying genetic mutations related to breast cancer
- describe users satisfaction in relation to digital services
- describe the opportunity to access early detection, risk reduction and genetic counseling services.
- quantify the scientific products originating from the data obtained in the provision of digital services.

Full time staff,

- C.E.O 

- Software Engineer

- Marketing

- Manager

- Legal Representation

Part time: 

- Accountant

- Social Communicator 

- Human talent manager 

- C.E.O: Surgeon and epidemiologist, with public health and digital transformation orientation. Chief of research groups and manager of research resources. Breast cancer researcher.

- Software Engineer: young and aspirational developer. high commitment to the project through innovative and effective solutions.

- Marketing: experienced in emerging strategies and social networks for health purposes. Clarity on the effectiveness of messages and images related to the provision of health services.

- Manager: management and protection of financial resources. participation in innovation for the execution of budgets protecting the integrity of workers and suppliers

- Legal Representation: Lawyer. We also dispose a continuous accompaniment by advisers and support by a national insurer. 

Part time: 

- Accountant:dedicated to the corresponding settlements, timely payments and response to national tax obligations.

- Social Communicator: dedicated to communication processes with users, employees and suppliers. Continually seeks to improve the user experience

- Scientifics and academic consultants: dedicated to the necessary concepts, evaluation and approval of the strategies inherent to digital services.

- Human talent manager : dedicated to selecting and managing human talent. Facilitates business culture and harmony of our colaborators.

We are still a young company. Our teleological guidelines are governed by a healthy environment that allows the development of activities that bring us as a group closer to our objectives. For us, social agreements that allow us to develop a work environment based on respect, harmony and inclusion prevail. the nature of human abilities, our way of interacting and our productivity is not understood by us as aspects related to gender, race, sexuality, religious belief, among others. We promote listening to all our employees who have a respectful voice to represent different communities and strengthen our company values.

No

We are part of a team that continuously works for the knowledge and benefit of breast cancer patients. It is with great concern that we have noticed an increase in this pathology in increasingly younger women, who are very susceptible to being carriers of genetic mutations. There is a latent need to guide the processes of information and access to services for these patients, that is why we have put our effort into developing digital services that may be within our reach.

We found the Horizon Prize call looking for an ally to develop our services. With joy, we feel identified in most of the postulates of the call, since we interpret that our organization is aligned to the need and stimuli of institutions such as MIT. We hope to deserve your support to join forces on a pathology that, although rare, has a great demand for digital resources and solutions. Additionally, we found the opportunity of the Business and Impact Planning for Social Enterprises course. We appreciate the exercise to fill in all the information that you require. We hope that our reasons are as pleasant for you as they are for us.

As a young and eager learning company, we would like to have all the support that is required to take this successful endeavor forward.

From MIT: Data, Economics, and Development Policy & Computational Science and Engineering SM