Israeli digital health startup Telesofia Medical has set out to be as specific as possible when it comes to developing personalized video content for health literacy program. Many of its customers are big pharma companies but some are health systems keen to prepare patients for an upcoming procedure or help patients follow a care plan when they are diagnosed with a condition or discharged from the hospital.
The company is part of a group of Israeli digital health companies exhibiting at the Mobile Health Summit this week.
In an interview, Founder and CEO Dr Rami Cohen said part of the problem is people hear instructions like “take two pills twice daily” and accept it without really understanding what that means. But Cohen was quick to point out that the issue went well beyond patients.
“The problem isn’t with the patient, it is with us not providing easy to understand information” or taking it for granted that patients understand the imparted information correctly, he said.
The videos, with content that can be customized by each customer, can include the patient’s care manager, doctor, or another healthcare professional. Depending on the persona’s name, age and sex, the video will factor that data and address individuals personally.
The idea is to provide the instruction at the time it’s needed. When patients receive alerts on mobile devices, they can click on a link and view a medication dosage video. Cohen said pharmaceutical companies valued its approach for injectible medications, particularly anti-inflammatory medications that can be costly. The videos are designed to be meticulous: the specific packaging and labeling is displayed, a close up of the dosage in the syringe is intended to eliminate confusion.
Telesofia has been around since 2012 but it is only in the past year that it has been in the U.S. market. It is also working with pharmacy chains.
A Deep-dive Into Specialty Pharma
A specialty drug is a class of prescription medications used to treat complex, chronic or rare medical conditions. Although this classification was originally intended to define the treatment of rare, also termed “orphan” diseases, affecting fewer than 200,000 people in the US, more recently, specialty drugs have emerged as the cornerstone of treatment for chronic and complex diseases such as cancer, autoimmune conditions, diabetes, hepatitis C, and HIV/AIDS.
Apart from its work for health systems and pharma, the company is also working with a media company on a pilot for a wellness assessment tool. Users will be asked to enter data about the health and lifestyle. The more information they provide, the more information, insights they will receive.
