About our project
The problem we solve: Patient side > 50%+ of diabetics not taking medication; minority groups are disproportionally diagnosed with T2D, yet have access to less medical support. Minority groups report lack of trust, understanding and relatability from medical industry; along with feelings of being unsupported between long doctor visits. Non adherence and lack of educational and lifestyle modification leads to financial burden for hospital.
Hospital side > diabetics have more frequent hospital visits, longer hospital stays, burden ER rooms, cost $10k more than non diabetic patients, ESRD and amputations are extremely costly. Need to reduce readmissions.
About our solution:
We use our digital coaching and support platform to help hospitals drive healthier T2D population outcomes with our clinically driven, evidence based and culturally sensitive digital diabetes platform.
We educate patients through our platform. Our remote monitoring allows us to intervene at the best teachable moment. We create lasting behavioral change.
Progress to
date:Our platform that includes patient iOS and android apps as well as a web portal is fully operational.
We have been beta testing patients throughout the year.
The patient feedback has been extremely positive.
About Our Team
Creator: Dacia Bryant, RPh, CDE
Location: New York
Bio: I have been a healthcare professional for over 20 years. I am both a Pharmacist and a Certified Diabetes Educator.
My passion and focus has been on creating innovative solutions in the diabetes space, with particular focus on minority communities.
Title: Founder
Advanced Degree(s): M.S. Healthcare Policy
About Team Members
Dale Bryant
Co Founder, MBA
Biography: Long career in finance and entrepreneurship.
After working at Lehman Brothers and Morgan Stanley founded a RIA Investment firm.
Had part interest in co-working company.
Title: Co Founder
Advanced Degree(s): MBA
About Our Company
How We Help Patients
One of our advisors recently shared a story that his family had found years worth of diabetes medication under his grandmother's bed.
What medical experience or comfort level with her PCP could have led to that?
We work for hospitals, but our real boss is the end user patient. We know that you cannot get a disconnected patient to modify their behavior or to take instruction.
So we place a big emphasis on empowering the patient. Once our patients recognize that we respect and support them, it creates an atmosphere of trust that leads to real engagement.
When we demonstrate that we respect our patients foods, cultures and beliefs, then that patient feels like we can discuss anything. And that leads to healthier outcomes and a satisfied patient.
Our biggest compliment is when patients tell us that we supported them in being more accountable to themselves about their health.
We teach, empower, coach patients into understanding the disease, understanding real life consequences of unmanaged diabetes, how to make healthier food choices, coaching and nudging to get more physical activity, the importance of medication adherence and which health myths and scams to avoid.
How We Help Physicians
We provide virtual support to the PCP who is already overwhelmed and may see their patient every 4-6 months and needs help in guiding that patient in the interim at the point of important decision making.
Throough our smartphone apps, patients can share their health data with PCP before they show up to visit. The information is presented in manner that is useful to the PCP; time and range BG data, previous 3 month pre/post averages, etc.
We help PCP to get their patients to take medications.
A more engaged, better educated patients helps the PCP.
How We Help Hospitals
Our digital diabetes support platform can help hostipals reduce ER visits, reduce readmissions, shorten hospital stays, improve medication adherence, address ESRD and amputations.
To assist with Triple Aim objectives.
To deliver healthier T2D health outcomes BUT also soft goals that are just as important like patient satisfaction, quality of life and family impact.
How We Help Partners
For device companies - we are open to any device maker that can read BG readings through human skin.
For EHR vendors - we would like to partner with any open source EHR vendors to integrate our platform and our data.
Challenge Mission
Key Milestones Achieved and Planned
We are ready to implement our digital diabetes coaching platform in a hospital setting. We would like to pilot our platform on a portion of a typical hospital's T2D population, 500-1,000 users. We would like to secure two hospital contracts for 2018.
We then expect to secure 10 Hospital contracts over the nest 3 years.
Our Competitive Advantages
We charge hospitals per patient, per year. We can demostrate a 10X return on capital outlay.
Barriers to Entry
The other competitors in the space are:
- Fit4D
- WellDoc
- Livongo
- Mysugr
- OneDrop
- Noom
- Glooko
We are differentiated in a couple of ways. Our diabetes coaching and support platform has a cultural integration of our clinically driven and evidence based curriculum.
The behavioral component of our platform is a one of a kind LifeBox that complements the technology component of our platform. The LifeBox is mailed to patients and teaches them how to read labels, how to choose healthier snacks and keeps them engaged with other feel good items.
Traction, Funding and Partners
Our product is complete. We have beta tested with 25 patients over the last year. Early results show lowered BG readings. Out pilot study will provide a more comprehensive analysis of our platforms effectiveness.
Innovation Details
Intellectual Property Summary
There is no IP to protect. Like the other competitors in this diabetes space, we all have our unique methodology of delivering healthier T2D outcomes, but nothing to protect.
Clinical Information
The future of using digital tools to fight diabetes is bright - https://clindiabetesendo.biomedcentral.com/articles/10.1186/s40842-015-0016-2
Low cost mhealth digital toolds are effective in disproportionally affected demographics - http://care.diabetesjournals.org/content/early/2017/05/31/dc17-0230
Successful results of different studies showing that culturally tailored interventions can improve risk factors, slow the progession and - https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC5408505/
That religious beliefs plays a large part in medical adherence and that incorporating these belief systems into a diabetes curriculum can lead to behavioral change, in this case for African Americans - http://journals.sagepub.com/doi/abs/10.1177/0145721717725280
Eventhough people suffering form T2D may need more than one medication to assist, at least initially, with glycemic control, insulin is not always included in treatment regimen due to cultural barriers HCPs face - http://spectrum.diabetesjournals.org/content/diaspect/29/3/185.full.pdf
Black men reporting external challenges and barriers to healthy eating. This shows the need for our education curriculum and diabetes coaching and nutritional support in this demographic - http://journals.sagepub.com/doi/abs/10.1177/0145721716640904
Overall effectiveness of culturally tailored teaching methodologies -http://journals.sagepub.com/doi/abs/10.1177/1090198102251021
Regulatory Status
None
How we will use the funds raised
To demonstrate efficacy via pilot study with an Academic Medical Center or Community Hospital
Thank You
We are excited to be a part of the digital health eco system at this time and place in history.
Never before have we had the opportunity to make such a real difference. Wearable tech, better bandwidth, video, have made it possible for the innovation community to reach the people who need the help the most.
Health equity used to be just a buzz phrase, but now its in our cross hairs.
We bring a unique, insider perspective to treating this epidemic and we are just looking for the right partner.
Please join us.
