I-Corps: Connected digital health platform with integrated delivery model to improve patient adherence to health goals using insights from data science and behavioral science

University Of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia PA

Investigators

Abstract

The broader impact/commercial potential of this I-Corps project is to help pre-diabetics use and adhere to diabetes prevention measures to avoid a full-blown episode of diabetes. 86 million Americans are pre-diabetic with risk for developing type 2 diabetes and a cost of $2.3T. Evidence-based research has resulted in a protocol called diabetes prevention program (DPP), taught by diabetes coaches and covered by insurance. But usage/adherence to DPP is low. 9 out of 10 patients are unaware. Programs are underutilized, patients drop off and coaches are not paid by insurance due to non-compliance. The company?s technology solution will use data and behavioral science to improve usage and adherence for DPP. This solution empowers doctors, diabetes coaches and patients to collectively improve long term self-care. By identifying risk of diabetes and connecting at-risk patients to programs, the company improves usage. By helping patients adhere to programs, the company helps programs comply and get paid. The company will collect software as a service (SaaS) fee from programs by helping them with revenue generation. The company will prove its value proposition in the diabetes prevention market with well-defined goals set by CDC/Medicare and use this evidence to move to other markets beyond diabetes. This I-Corps project is a connected digital health platform with integrated delivery to improve patient adherence to health goals using insights from data science and behavioral science. It comprises of a web dashboard for health providers and a synced mobile app for patients. By aggregating and learning from decades of research in behavioral science, machine learning and medical adherence and combining it with connected technologies and computational power that have recently become available, the company is developing a better way to help patients adhere to their long term health goals. With smartphone usage at 77% (Pew Research, 2018), it is now easier to collect data automatically and continuously, intervene, support and track patients virtually. The company is leveraging its team?s 75+ years of combined experience in healthcare, technology, behavioral psychology and entrepreneurship to tackle this challenge. The company will streamline data collection and management through wearables and connected technologies. The company will use this patient generated data to develop new predictive algorithms and visualize data to offer insights to patients and healthcare providers. Additionally, the company will implement behavioral science methodologies and tools such as gamification and nudging to reinforce healthy behaviors. This award reflects NSF's statutory mission and has been deemed worthy of support through evaluation using the Foundation's intellectual merit and broader impacts review criteria.