Stanford Medicine and Apple codeveloped an app connecting first responders to coronavirus testing sites

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The pair developed an app to help connect paramedics, police officers, and firefighters in California to drive-through coronavirus testing sites if they're exhibiting symptoms consistent with infection from the novel coronavirus, according to CNBC.

Dubbed The First Responder COVID-19 Guide, the app guides users through a survey with questions about their symptoms. And if their answers suggest they may have been infected by the novel coronavirus, users can be scheduled for priority testing at a Stanford Health Care location.

The app is the latest solution being deployed at a health system to help mitigate the spread of the virus among vulnerable frontline healthcare workers and first responders in the US. Baltimore-based Johns Hopkins Medicine recently began using a tool developed by telehealth startup Emocha to monitor healthcare professionals who may have been exposed to the novel coronavirus, for example.

And with the launch of The First Responder COVID-19 Guide, essential workers such as paramedics and police officers - who are at higher risk of contracting the coronavirus - now have a solution to turn to that can help enable rapid testing and mitigate contamination. The use of apps like these could help health systems ensure that their workers aren't getting infected and help retain pools of docs: More than 700 workers (or 2.1% of the workforce) at Detroit-based Henry Ford Health System recently tested positive for the novel coronavirus, for example.

We've seen health systems increasingly forge - and tighten - relationships with tech companies amid the pandemic - and we think this could usher in a wave of provider-tech firm tie-ups post-coronavirus. In addition to Stanford's work with Apple - which adds another layer to the pair's already existing relationship - Nashville-based HCA Healthcare recently teamed up with technology company SADA to develop a national coronavirus portal using Google Cloud's tech that will enable hospitals across the US to share information and track resources.

It makes sense for health systems to partner with tech companies during the pandemic, considering tech firms can leverage their analytics brawn and cloud capabilities to develop digital health solutions, while freeing up health systems to care for their share of the over 450,000 confirmed coronavirus cases in the US at the time of writing.

As health systems increasingly lean on tech companies amid the chaos of the pandemic, we think their relationships will solidify and health systems will recognize the value a tech partner can bring in the long-run. And we expect these collaborations to strengthen the foundations of existing partnerships beyond the pandemic, which will enable health systems and their tech partners to quickly pivot and focus on new initiatives in the future.

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