A prehospital communication system for incoming ambulances is the winner of the third annual New Ventures Healthcare Challenge hosted by Cleveland Clinic Innovations.

The challenge called for innovative ideas to disrupt the healthcare market and streamline better care to patients.

Twiage was named this year's winner. The communication system delivers real-time situational awareness of incoming ambulances to emergency departments. Paramedics and EMTs can use Twiage's HIPAA-compliant smartphone app to capture stroke symptoms in video, EKGs for heart attacks, trauma scenes through photos, and record digital voice memos. By providing live patient data and GPS-tracked ETA for all incoming ambulances, Twiage helps hospitals accelerate treatment for critical emergencies, while improving performance measures, patient outcomes and reducing costs.

"By advancing the prehospital timeline, Twiage allows hospitals to shave crucial minutes off hospital metrics, such as door-to-CT scanner and door-to-tPA times for stroke," said YiDing Yu, MD, founder and CMO of Twiage. “Nineteen million Americans will take an ambulance to Emergency Departments this year. For many, it will be a life-threatening event. By advancing the prehospital timeline, Twiage allows hospitals to shave crucial minutes off hospital metrics, such as door-to-CT scanner and door-to-tPA times for stroke.”

As the winner of the challenge, Twiage will receive consultations from commercialization experts at Cleveland Clinic Innovations and its Innovation Advisory Board, as well as an opportunity to show the product to Cleveland Clinic caregivers.