November 16, 2018

Visionist Joins Large Tech Companies to Continue the Fight Against the Opioid Epidemic

On Tuesday, November 13th, members of our Data Science team were invited by Google’s staff to attend Searching for Answers: Innovating for Families in the Opioid Age. This unique event brought together professionals from many fields – non-profit and Governmental organizations, medical professionals, people in long-term recovery, and representatives from technology companies including Google, Facebook, and Twitter.

Along with discussions of the challenges facing those impacted by the opioid crisis, the event featured multiple panels focused on what tech companies can do to help support the development of new tools, treatments, and solutions. Brainstorming sessions focused on generating ideas for how to scale existing solutions and disseminate accurate and helpful information to the public.

Visionst’s team had the opportunity to connect with attendees one-on-one and demonstrate TakeBack America, our winning solution from the U.S. Dept. of Health & Human Services Code-a-thon. TakeBack allows the general public to easily locate sites where they can safely dispose of leftover medication, reducing opportunities for theft or abuse. It also allows public health practitioners and community planners to evaluate whether these take-back site locations are properly positioned in order to be accessible by the most at-risk communities. These interactions sparked interesting discussions about the crisis and potential collaboration opportunities to continue innovation in the sphere of healthcare.