Digital Health Firm Targets Low-Income Patients For Diabetes Initiative
San Francisco-based Omada offers an online tool to help those with diabetes — but it wants to take it a step further and specifically address a population that faces a higher risk of certain chronic health problems.
Stat:
Can A Silicon Valley Startup Prevent Diabetes In Medicaid Patients?
Omada, which offers an online program geared to helping people who are prediabetic or obese lose weight and avoid developing type 2 diabetes, is rolling out a version of its program specifically tailored to people who rely on safety-net services like Medicaid. It is also sponsoring a clinical trial to try to demonstrate that such a program can work in low-income communities. In all of Omada’s programs, participants are given a scale that tracks their weight every day and are matched into groups based on geography and weight loss goals. The groups are paired with health coaches who provide guidance and lessons, customizing them so that a group of Louisianans, for example, can discuss how to keep up healthy habits during Mardi Gras. (Joseph, 7/29)
In other health technology news —
The San Diego Union-Tribune:
App Delivers Prescription Meds To People On Demand
Mail-order prescription services often take days or weeks to deliver meds, but Phox, a nascent San Diego startup, has found a way to speed up the process. The 8-month-old company, co-founded by a hospital physician, has created an iPhone and Android app for same-day prescription delivery. Users need only download the app, sign up, and snap a photo of their pill bottle and insurance card to transfer refills to Phox’s system. (Van Grove, 7/28)