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BOSTON and INGELHEIM, Germany — Healthrageous Inc. and Boehringer Ingelheim have launched the SMART Study along with United BioSource Corp. to assess a digital self-management solution to improve the health status of people with type 2 diabetes.
Digital health management firm Healthrageous said Tuesday that the solution is designed to leverage technology in a way that makes it easier for diabetes patients to manage their disease themselves.
Through the Institutional Review Board (IRB)-approved research project, adults diagnosed with type 2 diabetes for at least six months will have access to Healthrageous’ digital diabetes self-management program. Delivered via the Web and smartphones, the program will include a personalized action plan with health behavior improvement goals, a wireless glucose meter transmitting data to clinical monitors, as well as HbA1c at-home test kits.
"Innovations in machine learning and technology offer the opportunity to create and deliver a unique experience for each person with type 2 diabetes," stated Rick Lee, president and chief executive officer of Healthrageous. "We are delighted to be working with Boehringer Ingelheim and UBC on this first-of-its-kind evaluation of the promise that digital technology holds in stemming the type 2 diabetes epidemic."
By combining medical claims data, the collaboration will enable an evaluation of the impact that a digital diabetes platform could have on medical and pharmaceutical costs, clinical care, consumer behavior modification and device and self-reported biometric health measures, according to Healthrageous.
"Boehringer Ingelheim is committed to innovation in diabetes treatment and strives for solutions that offer a ‘beyond pill’ approach in health care," commented Klaus Wilgenbus, senior vice president, PM, for business development, licensing and strategy at Boehringer Ingelheim. "As part of our ongoing collaboration with Healthrageous, this project adds nicely to our goal to provide and develop solutions for patients and their families that contribute to a more holistic way of diabetes treatment."
UBC will identify and help manage the recruitment of participants from about a dozen large U.S. employers for the study.
Abbe Steel, vice president of patient and physician services at UBC stated, "Through a truly innovative, patient-centric design, this study will allow us to collect and integrate patient-reported data, biometric data and claims data in order to generate new insights into health behaviors, outcomes and cost utilization."
