🎧 Putting the Spotlight on Interoperability

The spotlight is on Particle! Particle CEO Troy Bannister kicked off Season 3 of the Health Tech Spotlight podcast with a guest appearance on their newest episode.

During the show, Troy described how the growth of API companies like Plaid and Twilio is a preview of consumer-centric change that’s accelerating in healthcare.

“Historically, anyone building innovation in healthcare has been beholden to the hospital or insurance company,” Troy explained. “Because they have the data, you’re really building solutions for hospitals. Instead, if you can get that data without the hospital, you’re building solutions for patients.”

Particle Health, which connects users to multiple data sources using a single API, enables companies to build healthcare apps without going through traditional gatekeepers. 

Thanks to Plaid's fintech API, Troy pointed out, Venmo could build their app independently of banks, allowing them to create a financial tool that’s focused on ease of use. 

As Particle’s customers start integrating patient data into their tools using a patient data API, Troy said, “they’re going to start building things that were not possible without us. That’s where it gets really exciting.”

Particle serves healthcare data seekers, a broad category of innovators that includes providers, pharmacies, and digital health apps. In effect, Troy said, Particle powers platforms that keep people healthy. 

We frequently compare health tech to finance. Moving people’s medical data from labs and EHRs into new services is kind of like downloading bank transactions. But Particle’s connectivity challenges are different from those at Plaid, Troy added, in that sick people have countless doctor portals to log in to, many of which they might not be aware of.

“Remember, the P in HIPAA stands for portability,” Troy added. “That’s the idea - to make data portable, not to make it overly private and locked up.”

Listen to Troy’s episode now at Health Tech Spotlight — or wherever you find your podcasts! 🎧