We provide Clinical Decision Support for

Accurate decision support empowers the public to better understand medical conditions they are concerned about and make informed medical decisions about seeking care.

Providing accurate information to patients is an evidence-based approach that increases patient engagement in their care and improves patient satisfaction.

Giving care providers accurate tools to understand a patient’s condition improves care and decreases healthcare costs.

The "False Positive" Impact

Simulating a COPD patient event: Friday, 9:30 PM

Traditional Route
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0m
Process Log
With FTHR Group RECOMMENDED
$0
0m
Process Log
Data Source: UnitedHealth Group Research on Avoidable ED Visits

Partners

We are proud to work with a wide variety of public, private, and academic partners to improve the lives of the populations we serve.

Partners

We are proud to work with a wide variety of public, private, and academic partners to improve the lives of the populations we serve.

Applications

We have several mobile CDS applications under development, with more coming soon! Reach out to partner with us on one.

Contact

We would love to talk with users of our products and potential partners about how to help people make more informed healthcare choices.

Get to know our work

Why we are here

FTHR Group was founded in 2024 as a logical extension of the work we had been doing to lead CDC’s COVID-19 Self Checker forward triage tool and the agency’s telehealth unit during the pandemic. The Self Checker had more than 21 million conversations with users during its two years of operation. Its companion program, CDC’s vSafe post-vaccine checker, has had more than 200 million interactions, all with around four staff. These programs remain some of the most highly visited websites in the CDC’s history and some of the most widely used forward triage/symptom monitoring applications in the U.S. during the pandemic. These applications and similar work signaled a new era of patient- and public-facing clinical decision support (CDS) applications that can now build upon a substantial evidence base of using clinician-focused CDS in healthcare systems.

Where we work

Enhanced public awareness of CDS applications and success in deploying them will continue to catalyze the use of public- and patient-facing CDS applications. These will help users identify (and potentially address) medical issues before or while they seek further care, direct them to the most appropriate care, and reduce unnecessary costs in the fractured and high-friction U.S. healthcare system. In addition, advances in technology will allow first-entry healthcare providers (e.g., emergency service personnel and nursing staff) to use CDS to better assess patients and implement evidence-based approaches earlier in the healthcare process. These interventions will further improve health outcomes, quality of patient care, and overall patient satisfaction. The low use of physician and mid-level provider CDS, as well as variable accuracy of symptom checkers that attempt to diagnose a broad range of conditions, provides opportunities for FTHR Group to develop accurate, condition-specific applications with evidence-based interventions or guidance for the public, patients, healthcare systems, and healthcare payers.

Measuring success

FTHR Group will build on its experience to develop, implement, evaluate, and manage public-, patient-, and first-entry healthcare provider-driven CDS. Our success will be measured by users of institutionally-associated or individual CDS applications that provide accurate information to empower them to make informed healthcare decisions. These tools will increase user satisfaction and reduce costs associated with unnecessary care, improving the health of these populations and saving the precious time of both patients and providers.

FAQs

Common Questions

Navigating the gap between "Home Care" and "Health Care"

Should I go to the ER for chest congestion?
Not always. While chest congestion can be alarming, it is often viral or manageable at home. FTHR Group's tools evaluate the context of your symptoms—like oxygen levels and duration—to distinguish between uncomfortable congestion and dangerous respiratory distress, saving you unnecessary trips to the hospital.
Is my fever high enough for emergency care?
The number on the thermometer is only part of the story. A high fever in a toddler is different than one in a senior. Our "Forward Triage" algorithms consider age, vaccination status, and other vital signs to tell you exactly when a fever requires a doctor and when it can be managed with rest and hydration.
How is this different from Googling my symptoms?
Search engines provide possibilities (often showing you the worst-case scenario). FTHR Group provides probabilities based on clinical evidence. We use the same triage protocols used by healthcare systems to give you a definitive "Next Step," rather than a list of scary diseases.
Can I use FTHR for pediatric questions?
Yes. Pediatric triage requires specific protocols. Our systems are designed to ask age-appropriate questions for children, helping parents differentiate between a common playground virus and a condition that needs urgent pediatric care.
What is "Forward Triage"?
Forward Triage is the process of assessing a patient's condition before they leave their house. Instead of driving to an ER to find out you're okay, our technology acts as a "digital front door," checking your symptoms first and routing you to the right care—whether that's a telehealth call, a pharmacy, or the emergency room.
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Didn't find the answer you were looking for?

We are happy to walk you through our protocols and technology personally.

Get to know our staff

Tony Neri

MD, MPH, FACPM, Lean / Six Sigma Blackbelt, Captain USPHS (Ret.)
Founder and Chief Executive Officer

Tony Neri

MD, MPH, FACPM, Lean / Six Sigma Blackbelt, Captain USPHS (Ret.)
Founder and Chief Executive Officer

Tony has more than 30 years of experience in medicine and population health. A bachelors degree in microbiology with work in recombinant gene therapeutics led to medical school in Chicago. He then led several high-impact domestic and international public health programs during a 20-year career at the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). His career highlights at CDC included being the Director of CDC’s Preventive Medicine Residency and Fellowship, helping to lead CDC’s telehealth and COVID-19 Self Checker programs, and serving as the Chief Data Scientist and Acting Division Director at CDC’s Division of Environmental Health Science and Practice. He maintains board certifications in Public Health and General Preventive Medicine as well as Clinical Informatics.Tony contributes to national efforts as a board member of the ACGME Preventive Medicine Review Committee and as a member of many AMIA workgroups. Since the early 1990’s he has maintained his medical skills by working in both professional and volunteer emergency service organizations. He has been the physician for the Georgia Department of Natural Resources’ prescribed fire program since 2012. He continues his service as an Eagle Scout by helping to lead the local Cub Scout troop.

Vlad Schorstein

MD, MPH
Director of User Engagement

Vlad Schorstein

MD, MPH
Director of User Engagement

Vlad’s journey to the field of public health began with a bachelor’s degree in biology from Oglethorpe University. That interest in bioscience led to earning an M.D. from Spartan Health Sciences University School of Medicine and ultimately a Master of Public Health from Mercer University.He then became involved in addressing Georgia’s opioid crisis, first as a graduate intern with the Georgia Department of Public Health’s Opioid and Prescription Drug Misuse and Overdose Project, and then as the Prescription Drug Monitoring Program Integration Coordinator for the state. This role allowed him to develop and strengthen partnerships with healthcare payers, providers, and patient groups across the state to facilitate clinical workflows and improve patient outcomes.He eventually transitioned to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and managed a portfolio of states participating in the Overdose Data to Action in States program.His career goals center around finding innovative solutions to address a nationwide physician shortage, disparities in healthcare delivery, and gaps between clinical medicine and population health.

Ready to reach out?

Join us to explore how our products and partnerships can lead to more informed healthcare choices for individuals.

Let's get in touch!

We would love to talk with users of our products and potential partners about how to help people make more informed healthcare choices.

Privacy policy

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