Health IT, Patient Engagement, Startups

Ginger.io turns cell phone activity into health tracking tool to spot depression

It feels a little creepy to know that the government has everyone’s cell phone data […]

It feels a little creepy to know that the government has everyone’s cell phone data – who you called when and how long you talked to that person, even where you were when you made the call.

What if your doctor were tracking similar information? We all have daily patterns – work, school, the grocery, the gym – and a break in those habits can signal an illness. Collecting the data and identifying those patterns is what Ginger IO is helping hospitals do. This tracking done is with the permission of patients and is designed to make care plans fit an individual’s needs. Ginger.io also offers specific controls over data so that patients can manage their privacy.

Ginger.io is a population management tool for large hospital systems. The platform assesses patient behavior by analyzing sensor data collected passively through an app on a smartphone. Developed at MIT, this statistical approach to patient care turns all of the disparate data points into health insights. At the patient’s discretion, doctors or caregivers are notified of changes in individual patterns, such as missing work or school.

The company is one of six finalists in National Council eHealth Challenge, along with Mood 24/7, Big White Wall, LinkedWellness, Cobalt Therapeutics, and myStrength. The winner of the contest will receive a National Council magazine article and press recognition to spread the word about their behavioral health initiatives. First prize will be awarded to the company with the most Facebook video “Likes.” You can see all the videos here.

Ginger.io is also running a research project about depression using data collected from smartphones. Anyone suffering from depression can sign up for Mood Matters. The goal of this program is to understand the triggers that lead to poor mood. There is a 9 question assessment on the site to determine eligibility for the program.

Ginger.io has partnered with Kaiser Permenente, Novant Health, and over 20 hospital systems and academic centers across the country. While the technology is applicable across a variety of conditions, their first commercial products focus on depression, co-morbid depression, anxiety disorders, bipolar disorder, and schizophrenia. In addition, they are actively pursuing research partnerships, such as their heart disease work with UCSF.

With those hospitals that already have patient outreach operations, Ginger.io hopes to make these programs more efficient and proactive. The traditional method of outreach involves randomized check ins. Co-founder and CEO Anmol Madan said often only about 20% of patients who are experiencing symptoms get a call.

One of Ginger.io’s early partners, Matthew Gymer, Corporate Director of Innovation at Novant Health said he is already seeing positive changes.

“Clinicians are reporting better outcomes, patients are reporting new value, and we’re already seeing hints of that bottom line impact in the form of increased quality and decreased unnecessary costs,” he said.

Ginger.io’s dashboard was originally designed for researchers in behavior science, but has gone through multiple iterations to respond to an expanding user base. Madan said Ginger.io is designed and implemented to fit with existing operational workflows, not create a disruption.

“We want to tell them who to target – and take advantage of existing clinical interventions and protocols,” Madan said.

The real challenge for Ginger.io is building the infrastructure for their product to succeed. In other words, how do they help alert and build clinical interventions into hospital operations without drastically disrupting workflow? Rising to these challenges, Ginger.io is designing its product in concentric, overlapping circles, where there is a flexible, two-way link between patients and caregivers rather than a predetermined structure based on existing care. The current generation of the Ginger.io dashboard is makes information easy to consume and act on.

Susan E. Williams

Susan has written about social media strategy for healthcare professionals, as well as thought pieces about new technologies and approaches to lowering health care costs while expanding quality care. Her work also has included designing marketing and PR strategies for nonprofits, startups, and health and science organizations.

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