Bellevue, Washington-based Litesprite is looking at mental health through a different lens. The company utilizes video games to help patients manage behavioral health, as well as diabetes and cancer. Notably, the startup has received a Surgeon General Award for its work with the U.S. Army.
“From a clinical perspective, ultimately this is about patient care and better outcomes,” Litesprite CEO Swatee Surve said in a phone interview. From the consumer point of view, it’s about providing relief when patients are facing crises, she added.
Surve, who founded the company in 2013, will be speaking at the upcoming MedCity INVEST conference in Chicago next month.
A recently published study analyzed 34 patients’ use of the startup’s game, Sinasprite. Individuals were recruited via clinician referral and self-referral via social media and news media. The six-week study examined patients’ self-directed use of Sinasprite, which is available as a mobile app.
The findings show the use of the game resulted in improvements in individuals’ self-reported confidence in their coping skills, as well as the severity of their depression and anxiety.
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“The potential benefit for something like Litesprite is to provide care when a clinician isn’t available,” David Cooper, one of the paper authors and the company’s lead clinician, said in a phone interview. “We’re really hopeful that studies like this and others bring these interventions to the forefront.”
The app can be used either with or without the support of clinicians. There are provider dashboards available to communicate with patients and remotely monitor their progress.
Armando Silva Almodóvar from the Ohio State University College of Pharmacy led the assessment of Sinasprite and was one of the study authors as well.
“I’m passionate about ways to help individuals with their mental health overall,” he said in a phone interview. “I’m excited to see … what else we find across new users of the app.”
Overall, Litesprite and the new results from this study address the growing field of behavioral health. There are approximately 44.6 million Americans living with mental illness in 2016, according to the National Institute of Mental Health. An NIMH blog also noted the cost of mental disorders was $467 billion in the United States in 2012.
Via email, Surve also pointed out what she is excited about regarding the future of her company. “We have established a position of trust by a wide range of patients,” she said. “The interest and receptivity we have received from providers and payers [are] very encouraging.”
Photo: Litesprite
