San Francisco, CA (PRWEB) November 14, 2016 -- Today, at American Heart Association’s Scientific Sessions 2016, digital health coaching startup Vida Health released findings from a peer-reviewed study of patients self-managing risk prevention after acute myocardial infarction (MI). The study, conducted with Duke Clinical Research Institute and AstraZeneca, found a statistically significant increase in pre- and post-intervention Patient Activation Measure (PAM) scores in ten cardiac patients using Vida’s coaching app on their smartphones. Prior research has shown that an increase in PAM scores of this magnitude is associated with increased medication adherence and reduced hospital utilization.
“We are excited by these results, as they are consistent with what we see every day with cardiac patients who use Vida’s coaching app,” said Vida CEO and Co-founder Stephanie Tilenius. “To date, there has been little research on the acceptance and efficacy of using smartphones to deliver coaching and personalized support to post-acute myocardial infarction patients; this study demonstrates that patients can achieve improved outcomes with Vida’s coaching and content tailored specifically to their needs and delivered seamlessly through their mobile device.”
A total of 21 participants (10 patients and 11 caregivers) completed the four-week intervention. The mean age of patients was 57 years, and 20% were women; caregivers had a mean age of 54 years and the majority (88%) were women. On average, participants engaged in one live video/phone consultation per week and opened the Vida app five times per week. Patients and caregivers texted an average of twenty-four and eight times per week, respectively.
After the four-week coaching intervention in the post-MI cohort, patients were significantly more likely to agree with the statements “I have been able to maintain (keep up with) lifestyle changes, like eating right or exercising,” and “I know what treatments are available for my heart attack.” Eight out of ten patients (80%) said they would go to cardiac rehab after coaching, compared to the traditional 25% of post-MI patients who participate in cardiac rehab.
Participants reported high levels of satisfaction with the program, with an average satisfaction rating of 8.3/10 across the patient and caregiver cohorts, and an average net promoter score of 61%, which is comparable to customer satisfaction levels for Apple’s iPhone.
“Post-MI patients and caregivers embraced digital health coaching with high rates of interactivity, and patients reported increased PAM scores, which measure engagement in self-management and medication compliance,” said Dr. Tracy Wang of the Duke Clinical Research Institute. “We believe these early results demonstrate the significant value of mobile phone-based health coaching programs in augmenting rehabilitation in post-MI patients to reduce readmissions for cardiac patients.”
In the U.S., about 735,000 people have a heart attack every year. Of these, 210,000 are second heart attacks. The average cost to traditional health insurers for the first 90 days following a heart attack is $38,501. The risk of a second heart event is reduced through lifestyle changes that include increased physical activity, stress management, improved diet, and medication adherence.
About Vida
Vida Health is a mobile-first personal health platform that helps people prevent, manage and reverse chronic conditions including diabetes, hypertension, mental health issues, and more. Utilizing data from connections to over 100 apps and devices, Vida creates a personalized care approach for each individual that can include 1:1 coaching from a professional health coach and customized content from evidence-based clinical programs. The company's revenues are predominantly derived from enterprise level contracts with Fortune 500 companies, major national payers and large providers. Partners include Steelcase, eBay, FICO, UnitedHealthcare, Mercy, Duke, Stanford, and many others.
About Duke Clinical Research Institute
The Duke Clinical Research Institute (DCRI) is the world's largest academic clinical research organization. Its research spans multiple disciplines, from pediatrics to geriatrics, primary care to subspecialty medicine, and genomics to proteomics.
About AstraZeneca
AstraZeneca is a global, science-led biopharmaceutical company that focuses on the discovery, development and commercialisation of prescription medicines, primarily for the treatment of diseases in three main therapy areas - Oncology, Cardiovascular & Metabolic Diseases and Respiratory. The Company also is selectively active in the areas of autoimmunity, neuroscience and infection. AstraZeneca operates in over 100 countries and its innovative medicines are used by millions of patients worldwide. For more information, please visit http://www.astrazeneca.com and follow us on Twitter @AstraZeneca.
Contact: media(at)vida(dot)com
@Vida
amy rosenberg, Vida Health, http://www.vida.com, +1 6503026466, [email protected]
SOURCE Vida Health
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