Figure 1 Gains Global Recognition for Improving the Future of Healthcare

In the era when the volume of information goes far beyond what an individual can absorb, personal experience and the ability to share it for the common good are especially important. And when it comes to health or the preservation of human life, the phrase «Sharing is caring» takes on particularly important meaning. With the noble goal of democratizing medical knowledge and improving the future of health care, Figure 1 offers a unique approach to tackling unconventional medical challenges, consolidating physicians’ knowledge, and ensuring their effective collaboration online. This year, the authors of the app received well-deserved recognition, and Figure 1 was named winner of World Future Awards in the category of Best Health Care Community Platform.

World Future Awards is a global award selecting, recognizing, celebrating, and promoting the best products, software, and services that will transform the global economy and define the landscape of the future. The organization researches inventions across all categories, including technology, beauty, health care, food, home, and entertainment, that are making the world better, smarter or even a bit more fun. By helping top health professionals from around the world work together to solve medical problems using information technology, Figure 1 is contributing to a healthier and more connected society of the future.

Figure 1 is an app through which medical practitioners can share and discuss medical cases with photos, working together to find ways to help patients. This startup was founded in 2013 in Toronto. Today, Figure 1 is the largest active network of medical professionals in the world, with more than 3 million registered professionals in 35 disciplines sharing more than 100,000 patient cases from 190 countries.

The developers of Figure 1 have ensured a reliable system of confidential information protection regardless of the format of the medical case discussion. To post a medical case with or without photos, a registered user must prove his or her expertise and status as a licensed medical professional or medical student. Only after verification will the user be able to post a photo without any ID and protected medical information. The case description is posted to the public domain only after the Figure 1 team has carefully reviewed it for identifying information and educational value. Only verified users can participate in the subsequent medical case discussion and will collaborate to work on complex cases and find treatment strategies.