Leading HIV/AIDS Researchers to Develop Free Web Application to Help HIV/AIDS Patients

PKC, January 13, 2003

Dr. Richard Marlink of HAI, Dr. Mark Holodniy of Stanford University, Dr. Jerry Ernst of VidaCare Incorporated, and the PKC Corporation, maker of decision support software, announce a consortium project to develop and distribute a free, web-based software application to aid in the world-wide management of patients suffering with HIV/AIDS.

Using literature-based clinical and scientific knowledge, the consortium is developing a web service for adult HIV/AIDS patients and their providers. This service will help to assure that relevant aspects of each individual patient – clinical, scientific, and psychosocial – are automatically considered as therapies and care plans are developed.

All four partners are contributing to the content development of the first version of the web service application scheduled for beta testing release early this year. The PKC Coupler Engine will be used to obtain patient data and process customized guidance for each patient. Drs. Marlink, Holodniy, and Ernst will use the application with HIV/AIDS patients during a 3 to 6 month beta testing period while consulting with PKC on refinements to the final released version.

The consortium will continue to work together to maintain the currency of the medical and scientific content of the tool, which will be updated regularly by PKC. The clinical settings served by the consortium members will function as ongoing application and testing sites to assure that the tools are tuned for clinical usage.

While the first version of the tool will be designed using guidelines to help providers in the US and Europe manage this complex disease, the consortium is quickly working on the integration of international guidelines and future versions are envisioned to accommodate local realities in the developing world.

Despite the large commitment of individual corporate resources already expended, all four consortium members have pledged to make the web service available free of charge to all users. The consortium will seek funding sufficient to cover their ongoing costs of maintaining the tool and the technical infrastructure for its web presence.

Consortium Members:

Dr. Richard Marlink, HAI
http://www.aids.harvard.edu

Established in 1988 HAI is dedicated to promoting research, education and leadership to end the AIDS epidemic in Africa, and other resource scarce settings. Investigating areas of epidemiology, clinical science, virology, immunology, nutrition, economics, molecular medicine, behavioral sciences, and genetics, scientists at the Institute have helped pioneer the field of HIV research in Africa and are working to develop and implement intervention efforts against HIV and AIDS. In its effort to stem the epidemic, HAI aims to strengthen technical and leadership skills through educational programs and enhance international capacities through collaborative research projects. To further expand its multidisciplinary research agenda, HAI is committed to fostering public and private collaborations with organizations that support the effort to stem the AIDS epidemic. Dr. Richard Marlink is the Senior Research and Executive Director of HAI.

Mark Holodniy, M.D., Associate Professor of Medicine, Stanford University
http://www.thebody.com/FORUMS/AIDS/Experts/Bio/mholodniy/mholodniy.html

Mark Holodniy, M.D., is Associate Professor of Medicine at Stanford University, Stanford, CA. He is Director of the HIV Clinical Program and AIDS Research Center at Veterans Affairs Palo Alto Health Care System, Palo Alto, CA. He is a fellow of the American College of Physicians and is a member of several professional societies. Dr. Holodniy is currently also a California Chapter Board Member of the American Academy of HIV Medicine. Dr. Holodniy has published more than 100 journal articles, book chapters, book reviews, editorials and abstracts on HIV-related topics. Current areas of research include: HIV clinical trials evaluating new compounds, strategies and devices; and molecular epidemiology studies on the prevalence of antiretroviral drug resistance and virologic interactions of HIV/HCV coinfection. Dr. Holodniy received his medical degree from Northwestern University, Chicago, and completed a residency in internal medicine at Good Samaritan Medical Center, Phoenix. He completed his Infectious Disease fellowship at Stanford University. He is board certified in Internal Medicine, Infectious Diseases, and Infection Control and Hospital Epidemiology.

Dr. Jerry Ernst, VidaCare Incorporated (VidaCare)

VidaCare, Inc., a 501©3 organization, is a collaboration of AIDS Adult Day Health Care Programs that was founded to serve people living with HIV/AIDS through specialized managed care systems. VidaCare’s approach to managed care is based on the PACE model, which provides all-inclusive care for people with chronic care needs. VidaCare has a network of 10 AIDS adult day care centers. This network serves seriously underserved populations of HIV+ people in New York. Dr. Jerry Ernst is the Medical Director of the VidaCare program.

PKC Corporation (PKC)

PKC Corporation is a Burlington, VT company that has been building knowledge based clinical software guidance tools better known as Couplers, since 1982. Their first Windows® based software was created in 1994, and in 2002 they released their Web Coupler Service, providing coupling technology over the Internet. PKC Corporation maintains a proprietary Medical Knowledge Net Database from which 102 screening, diagnostic and management Couplers are built. It has been in development for two decades and is updated continuously by medical professionals and research librarians who continuously review the medical literature. Howard Pierce is CEO of PKC.