Onduo joins forces with Health of the sword in partnership designed to expand virtual care for people with diabetes and other chronic conditions. A subsidiary of Google’s Alphabet, Onduo by Verily focuses on digital therapy (DTx) for conditions including diabetes and hypertension, and also has a mental health component. Sword Health is a digital-first provider of musculoskeletal care (MSK). Each will now offer complementary solutions to the other’s enterprise customers.
The pairing makes good sense; according to Onduo, studies show that between 47% and 82% of people living with type 2 diabetes experience significant MSK pain. Vijay Yanamadal, Chief Medical Officer of Sword Health says “Helping people eliminate their pain from MSK creates a positive ripple effect, reducing drug dependency, avoiding unnecessary surgeries and improving quality of life by helping employers offer multiple and complementary solutions in the marketplace, We reduce the burden on their benefits teams.”
What do members get with Sword Health? Patients are paired with a physical therapist who designs a custom-made program that uses a Sword tablet along with motion sensors, allowing for real-time feedback from a digital therapist as patients perform their exercises. Sword Health says their program, according to a study, reduces pain by 55%, reduces shoulder-related disability by 52% and reduces the intention to have surgery by 55%.
With Onduo, diabetes sufferers receive a personalized kit with integrated devices that includes a blood glucose meter, home A1C kit and unlimited test strips. Onduo members with hypertension can get a blood pressure cuff connected to a smartphone. All members are supported by an app that reviews, analyzes and evaluates health data, offering a connection to health professionals from the Onduo care team and access to specialist care through a virtual clinic.
While partnerships between digital health platforms are increasingly common — and so this latest alliance isn’t big news in itself — the wider adoption of the telehealth services it represents is notable. This acceptance is especially true when it comes to chronic disease management. A study published by the American Medical Association JAMA Network Open earlier this year found that in a survey of 40.7 million US adults who sought care via telehealth, the consensus among people with chronic conditions was that virtual care was comparable to in-person visits.
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Digital Health Companies Now Partner to Take on Chronic Conditions
