NowPow releases COVID-19 screening and condition algorithms tied to available community services

NowPow, a personalized community referral platform, has developed a COVID-19 Impact Screening and COVID-19 Condition Algorithms that allow platform users to easily identify needs and automatically map them to vital emergency services verified as available during the COVID-19 crisis.

“As more people look to their communities for support, the landscape of organizations providing assistance is rapidly changing,” said Rachel Kohler, CEO, NowPow. “Our platform knows the current COVID-19 operating status for more than 45,000 community and emergency relief services in the nation’s hardest hit areas, thanks to the rigorous and rolling work of our Community Resources team. Our new screening and algorithms will ensure more people are connected to those services so they can get the support they need right now.”

NowPow’s new screening and algorithms are now available to all existing NowPow customers at no cost and are being offered to all community-based organizations (CBOs) within NowPow’s geographies free of charge.

Using the evidence-based screening questions and algorithms, NowPow users can quickly assess needs and navigate people to the optimal services NowPow has validated as open and operating. For example, if a user identifies that a person’s employment or income situation has been negatively affected by the COVID-19 crisis, the platform will automatically map that person to rent and mortgage payment assistance, utility payment assistance, and other vital financial support services.

The COVID-19 Impact Screening covers more than a dozen domains, including food and nutrition, loss and bereavement, and social and community connection.

The COVID-19 Condition Algorithms allow users to easily create lists of highly matched services for individuals who are identified as having unmet needs related to the adverse effect of the crisis. There is both a high-risk algorithm for those with acute needs and a low-risk algorithm for those with less emergent needs.

CBOs can access the COVID-19 screening and algorithms via NowPow’s CommRx referral tool. This tool is always free for CBOs and NowPow has added the screening and new algorithms – plus text/email functionality until Sept. 1, 2020 – at no cost. CBOs can click here for more information.

To further extend care during the COVID-19 crisis, NowPow also recently released rapid sign-on functionality within its NowRx one-way mobile referral tool. This allows customers to quickly activate new users (e.g., care providers, temporary workers or volunteers) by simply texting or emailing them a secure link – or embedding the link on their intranet. Once users sign up, they can watch a short training video and immediately start making referrals.