A California health system has announced a five-year partnership with one of the world's largest biopharmaceutical companies in a bid to push digital health solutions to patients with chronic conditions.
Sacramento-based Sutter Health officials said the pact with Boehringer Ingelheim will first target patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), the third ranking killer in the United States, affecting some 15 million Americans.
[See also: How Mt. Sinai taps HealthKit to manage COPD patients, populations]
"Ultimately, we all want to help patients reduce COPD symptoms and live healthier lives," Walter "Buzz" Stewart, PhD, MPH, Sutter Health's chief research officer, said in a press release. "We believe that innovative technologies can help us develop a deeper understanding of patient needs, values and care preferences - and create more time during office visits for doctors and patients to partner toward improved health outcomes."
Officials, for instance, want to develop a tablet or kiosk-based solution to gather patient data during a health encounter, as well as improve communications between patients and providers and enhance shared decision-making through video consults and other mHealth technology.
"Re-designing the patient experience by seamlessly integrating key technologies, applications and analytical insights has the potential to fundamentally enhance care for our patients with COPD," said Joshua N. Liberman, PhD, the health system's director of research.
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