The Aetna Foundation is doling out $4 million over three years to help bring digital and mobile health innovations to underserved communities.
The foundation said today it’s awarded $1.2 million of that money to 23 healthcare organizations and regional hospitals that will implement and evaluate digital technologies in vulnerable and minority populations.
As many as a quarter of low-income adults in the U.S. own smartphones, the foundation says, so digital health could be one way to address access issues and disparities.
With the Rise of AI, What IP Disputes in Healthcare Are Likely to Emerge?
Munck Wilson Mandala Partner Greg Howison shared his perspective on some of the legal ramifications around AI, IP, connected devices and the data they generate, in response to emailed questions.
“We believe that digital health technology can serve as a powerful equalizer for improving health education and access to care among minority and low-income communities by reaching people where they are spending time – at school, at church, in their neighborhoods and on-the-go with real-time solutions that easily fit into their daily lives,” said Aetna Foundation President Dr. Garth Graham in a statement.
One of the projects will work with leaders of faith-based organizations in three communities to connect with their congregations through health and wellness messaging.
Another is a K-12 curriculum that covers nutrition, fitness and disease prevention which students can access and collaborate on using social media and mobile devices.
As part of its push for evidence to support digital health innovation, the Foundation is also supporting a call for papers in an upcoming issue of the American Journal of Public Health.
A Personalized Approach to Medication Nonadherence
At the Abarca Forward conference earlier this year, George Van Antwerp, managing director at Deloitte, discussed how social determinants of health and a personalized member experience can improve medication adherence and health outcomes.
Among payers, Aetna has been somewhat of a leader in the way of digital health, starting with its acquisition of Healthagen and the iTraige app back in 2011. Since then, it’s also launched the CarePass platform where members can set goals and pull data from apps they use to track their progress.
[Image credit: Flickr user Manny Valdes]
