Qantas to roll out IATA's digital health pass

Australian flag carrier Qantas Airways is looking to roll out the digital health pass of the International Air Transport Association once regular Qantas and Jetstar international flights resume. 

The airline firm said in its media release that it will proceed with the IATA pass after months of conducting trials of several digital solutions on Qantas's international repatriation flights.

Based on its statement, the IATA Travel Pass verifies a user's COVID-19 test results and vaccination credentials. The app can store their test reports uploaded from certified diagnostic labs which users can present, along with their vaccine certificate, to authorities before their flight. 

Moreover, the app matches a traveller's health information against a specific flight; checks entry requirements of the country of destination; and provides travel clearance to both the traveller and the airline. 

"[The] IATA Travel Pass delivers an advantage over other solutions in that the app enables travellers to create a digital ID derived from a government-issued document, such as a passport. This means that airlines and governments can have full confidence in the test or vaccine results both from a content and identity perspective," Nick Careen, IATA SVP for Operations, Safety and Security, said.

Qantas said final development work is currently underway to prepare the app for use before international flights resume. 

"We want to get our international flights back in the air and our people back to work and a digital health pass will be a key part of that. Many Governments are already requiring proof of vaccine or a negative COVID-19 test result for international travel," Stephanie Tully, chief customer officer at Qantas Group, said.

iXensor develops COVID-19 data management platform

Taiwanese mobile health firm iXensor has introduced a cloud-based solution for managing COVID-19 data. 

The PixoHealth Pass Admin is both an app and web portal for screening and verifying COVID-19 health conditions by scanning the QR code from a user's PixoHealth Pass mobile app. The web-based platform synchronises the COVID-19 health data and rapid test results of users of PixoHealth Pass and PixoTest POCT Analyzer, fully digitising the data management processes. 

Additionally, the data management system permits organisations to configure health-data based access management rules to help keep SARS-CoV-2 from making cluster infections.

In a statement, iXensor said its latest solution helps streamline COVID-19 testing and point-on-entry screening for semi-closed communities, such as schools, corporations, healthcare facilities and public health organisations. 

The company also develops a rapid test called PixoTest POCT COVID-19 Antigen Test which can now detect various SARS-CoV-2 variants, including Alpha, Beta, Gamma and Delta.

"The COVID-19 rapid antigen test with an integrated data management solution provides the exact security mechanism demanded to protect homes, schools, businesses and communities from being affected by new outbreaks," iXensor Chairman Dr Peter Fitzgerald said.

Australian software startup Cogsworth integrates scheduling solution into FaceMyDoc platform

US-based health tech firm FaceMyDoc has partnered with Cogsworth, an Australian software startup, to integrate the latter's scheduling solution into its web-based telemedicine platform. 

Cogsworth offers a "professional business-centric" scheduling system while providing a simple user experience. According to Cogsworth Founder and CEO  Boris Gefter, its system will help FaceMyDoc address issues in coordinating the availability of patients and providers for their telehealth visits.

FaceMyDoc's Practice-In-A-Box telehealth platform delivers a range of services, such as risk management, marketing, medical billing, patient care coordination and engagement, diagnostic testing and prescription delivery, among others.

"FaceMyDoc remains focused on finding partners who are driving innovation and that can offer tremendous value to our providers. Companies like Cogsworth that lead with phenomenal customer service and have built products that can be easily integrated into our platform are ideal partners for us," said FaceMyDoc Founder and CEO Anthony W. Licausi.