Digital health habits can help personalize and optimize digital health experiences
Columbia, MD – September 15, 2020 – Welldoc®, a trailblazer in digital health that is revolutionizing chronic disease management to help transform lives, and the University of Maryland’s Center for Health Information and Decision System (CHIDS) announced today findings as a result of their continued health data analytics partnership aimed at gaining insights into successful patterns of digital health engagement. CHIDS applied their machine learning (ML) and artificial intelligence-driven (AI) analytical methods to discover habits in how individuals with cardiometabolic diseases are using Welldoc’s award-winning digital health tool, BlueStar®, to improve the self-management of their chronic disease and associated health, economic and quality outcomes.
“Our work is uncovering novel insights in the use of digital health tools. Preliminary results suggest that the conversion of BlueStar engagement into ‘digital health habits’ can alter user behaviors and result in improved diabetes outcomes,” said Ritu Agarwal, interim dean of the Robert H. Smith School of Business and founding director of CHIDS.
With access to BlueStar end-user aggregated data, CHIDS is able to apply Welldoc’s IDEA™ analytical framework – Inform, Discover, Extrapolate and Adapt – to unearth new forms of insights. Insights are determined by analyzing the relationship between improvements in glycemic, hypertension and lipid control and a variety of independent variables including activity, nutrition, medication adherence, education and social determinants.
“Welldoc is revolutionizing chronic disease management to help transform lives. BlueStar and our digital health solutions for heart failure, hypertension and pre-diabetes unlock the opportunity to collect vast amounts of data that the healthcare system has never had access to before,” said Dr. Anand K. Iyer, Welldoc’s Chief Strategy Officer. “When we have insights into glucose testing, medication adherence, activity, diet, sleep and symptoms, we can zero-in at the patient level on the exact engagement patterns that are delivering a desired outcome for an individual.”
Preliminary data has already uncovered patterns of a user’s early engagement and habit formation that may predict higher persistence with the app. These initial data findings also show improvements in blood glucose levels months later for users who engaged early and often.
BlueStar is a FDA-cleared digital health solution for diabetes, backed by more than 52 peer-reviewed clinical posters and publications, that:
- Engages people with Type 1 and Type 2 diabetes;
- Delivers tailored, real-time feedback – 24/7, on or offline – to improve long-term health;
- Connects users with their own care team to provide new opportunities to optimize care;
- Seamlessly integrates with blood glucose meters, pharmacies, labs, activity and fitness trackers;
- Aggregates critical data to assist by delivering actionable insights to the user’s care team;
- Allows providers to use remote patient monitoring codes for reimbursement.
About the University of Maryland’s Robert H. Smith School of Business
The Robert H. Smith School of Business is an internationally recognized leader in management education and research. One of 12 colleges and schools at the University of Maryland, College Park, the Smith School offers undergraduate, full-time and part-time MBA, executive MBA, online MBA, specialty master’s, PhD and executive education programs, as well as outreach services to the corporate community. The school offers its degree, custom and certification programs in learning locations in North America and Asia.
About the Center for Health Information & Decision Systems (CHIDS)
CHIDS is an academic research center of excellence based in the Department of Decision, Operations & Information Technology (DO&IT) at the Robert H. Smith School of Business that collaborates closely with industry, government, and other key health system stakeholders. CHIDS’ research seeks to understand how artificial intelligence and digital technologies can be more effectively deployed to address outcomes such as patient safety, healthcare quality, efficiency in healthcare delivery, and a reduction in health disparities. CHIDS offers the benefit of renowned scholars in healthcare analytics, technology innovation, implementation, and design. The pool of talent, knowledge and expertise in DO&IT is acknowledged by several publications as a top-5 performer in research production worldwide; the Information Systems group is ranked in the top-10 worldwide by Businessweek and U.S. News and World Report. CHIDS is launching an AI Leadership in Healthcare short course series for professionals in January, for more information, visit go.umd.edu/chids.
About Welldoc
Welldoc® is revolutionizing chronic disease management to help transform lives. BlueStar®, a FDA-cleared digital health solution, guides individuals through the complicated journey of living with diabetes by enabling them to self-manage their conditions and enhancing connections to their healthcare team. Welldoc streamlines the relationships between payers, employers and healthcare systems resources, with the goal of improving population health and reducing the costs of chronic diseases. For more information, visit www.welldoc.com.
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