Takeda Pharmaceuticals U.S.A. announced the launch of a pilot digital technology program to support patients and physicians with the management of inflammatory bowel disease (IBD). Digital approaches are being used to develop solutions across many sectors of healthcare, with cutting-edge technology elevating and transforming disease diagnostics, measurement, treatment and more.
The program, iBData, is designed to intersect healthcare and digital technologies. In partnership with Texas Digestive Disease Consultants (TDDC) and Vanderbilt University Medical Center (VUMC), this pilot program will allow patients with IBD to track their symptoms and lifestyle factors with wearable watch technology. The data will be collected and translated into reports intended to help enhance patient-physician interaction with the goal of improved care.
"The wearable aspect of the technology being used for iBData provides an opportunity to investigate how we as physicians monitor, assess and treat our patients," said Tim Ritter, M.D., medical director, Luminal Research, TDDC.
"We are very excited about this project and its potential for both patients and physicians," said Dawn M. Beaulieu, M.D., assistant professor of medicine, Division of Gastroenterology, Hepatology & Nutrition, VUMC. "Giving patients the power to capture robust, real-time monitoring of their symptoms will help us as physicians to create a personalized treatment plan. Our hope is that this will ultimately result in better disease control and improved IBD care."
The initial rollout of the program will involve approximately 100 patients. iBData aims to improve conversations between patients and physicians in the exam room and between visits, fostering productive and ongoing dialogues, and improve the understanding of individual patients' conditions. This includes analyzing symptoms, triggers and aggravating factors in an effort to expand the ability to treat individuals and potentially improve outcomes.
"At Takeda, part of what fuels our ongoing dedication to advanced research in the field of gastroenterology is our deep understanding of the challenges that dictate unique needs for both patients and physicians managing IBD," explained Stephanie Brown, vice president, head, Specialty Business Unit, Takeda. "iBData leverages the remarkable capabilities available today when wearable technologies and medicine converge, in an effort to help overcome these challenges. This innovative pilot program will explore new ways to transform care by generating novel insights into the patient experience that physicians can directly utilize."
