Medix to Support HKU’s Undiagnosed Disease Programme

HONG KONG, CHINA - Media OutReach - 14 September 2017 - Medix announced today its partnership in supporting The University of Hong Kong's (HKU) programme for the advancement of knowledge, understanding and diagnosis of undiagnosed and rare diseases in children. The support will be of both financial contributions and access to peer to peer consultations with Medix's leading global specialists. These specialists would be able to provide additional information and insights, including overviews of current clinical trials and research to assist in reaching an accurate diagnosis for the programme's patients.   

From left to right: Dr. Brian Hon-Yin Chung (Clinical Associate Professor, Department of Paediatrics and Adolescent Medicine, LKS Faculty of Medicine, The University of Hong Kong), Prof. David Zeltser (Global Medical Director, Medix Medical Services), Ms. Sigal Atzmon (Group President, Medix Medical Services) and Prof. Godfrey Chi-Fung Chan (Head of Department of Paediatrics & Adolescent Medicine, LKS Faculty of Medicine, The University of Hong Kong) jointly announced Medix's partnership in supporting the University of Hong Kong's Undiagnosed Disease Programme.

Representatives from Medix Medical Services and University of Hong Kong attended the announcement ceremony of Medix in support of the HKU Undiagnosed Disease Programme.

Undiagnosed Disease Programmes are operated in different institutions across the world. These are special programmes that evaluate and provide care for patients who have a severe, chronic medical condition but have not yet been accurately diagnosed despite extensive efforts by their physicians. These programmes utilise multidisciplinary consultations and rely on advanced technology, research and testing methods in the areas of genetics and genomics to determine a diagnosis and develop a suggested treatment protocol for the patient.  

In collaboration with Queen Mary's Hospital paediatric ward, HKU's programme focuses primarily on children. Patients are offered advanced genetic testing and consultations that may not otherwise be available to them. Preliminary results at HKU show a diagnostic rate of over 30%, comparable to internationally reported figures.

Medix is proud to support such an important programme that can truly make an impact on people's lives in Hong Kong. Medix also offers global Personal Medical Case Management services in HK. Through the service customers can receive accurate and personalised treatment while empowering them to make informed medical decisions.    

Medix Group President Ms. Sigal Atzmon said "Medix is all about providing the best possible personalised care anywhere around the world; providing objective advice, accessibility and implementation of quality medical care. In line with our vision, we are involved in various initiatives to advance knowledge in medicine and specifically see great importance in supporting the public healthcare systems. As a leading medical and research institution, we are very proud to support HKU's Undiagnosed Disease Programme. The value of providing clarity and a concrete diagnosis to patients suffering from a serious condition is immeasurable and aside from enabling physicians to develop a relevant treatment plan it also provides great comfort to the patient and their families. Since rare conditions usually do not receive adequate funding or attention from big pharma companies and governments, knowledge and understanding of these conditions is often limited.  It is through partnerships like these and multidisciplinary, cross-border discussions between medical experts that we are able to make a difference in people's lives."

About Medix Medical Services

Medix is a global company specializing in quality global medical management. With constant scientific development expanding different treatment alternatives and medical technologies, Medix serves as a mediator between its clients and the constantly shifting world of medicine, enabling them to take full advantage of the advances it has to offer globally. Medix supports is customer base of over 1.8 million people, by leveraging on Medix' 300 in-house specialists, on its global quality accredited network comprised of over 3,000 leading specialists and 1,500 leading medical centers; Medix provides its patients with access to the best possible care in over 90 countries, 24hours a day, 7 days a week, in over 20 languages, including Cantonese and Mandarin. Medix is also proud to share that over the last years it has provided its global customers with proven better medical outcomes: in 20% of the cases Medix has changed the diagnosis and in 43% of the cases Medix recommended a different and optimal treatment plan and prevented unnecessary medical consultations and procedures in 55% of the cases (yearly averages).

Further, Medix is also involved in supporting government related entities and insurers in developing their healthcare strategies and health care reforms, including implementation of medical governance & clinical quality strategies. Believing that accessibility and sustainability of quality care are one of the most important components in fundamental social rights, Medix is very passionate about these issues and is fully dedicated to these activities. In addition to its activities, Medix engages in Charity and funds various public medical research and clinical programs with the aim to support people in obtaining diagnoses and treatments for rare and complex medical conditions.

Last but not least, with the view that digital health will continue to impact and disrupt the way health care is provided and consumed, the Medix Group has decided to launch a Venture Capital Fund, Medix Ventures, with a strong focus on Asia Pacific, aiming to innovate and capitalize on the opportunities within the digital health space. This will enable disruptive digital health solutions to be embedded into the global Medix medical platform servicing customers globally.