Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai and LifeMap Solutions Launch Asthma Study for iPhone
First-of-its-kind asthma study developed using ResearchKit framework
NEW YORK, Mar 09, 2015 (BUSINESS WIRE) -- The Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai and LifeMap Solutions, a subsidiary of BioTime (NYSE MKT:BTX), today announced the launch of a large-scale medical research study that uses the new ResearchKit framework developed by Apple to make it easy for individuals who suffer from asthma to participate in studies right from their iPhone.
The Asthma Health app is designed to facilitate asthma patient education and self-monitoring, promote positive behavioral changes, and reinforce adherence to treatment plans according to current asthma guidelines. The study tracks symptom patterns in an individual and potential triggers for these exacerbations so that researchers can learn new ways to personalize asthma treatment.
"We are delighted to be amongst a select group of institutions to pioneer the use of this new ResearchKit framework," said Eric Schadt, PhD, the Jean C. and James W. Crystal Professor of Genomics at the Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, and Founding Director of the Icahn Institute for Genomics and Multiscale Biology. "This app is the first of a series of disease-related medical research apps we plan to develop, incorporating electronic consent or 'e-consent' to enable us to recruit, consent, and enroll research participants remotely via the app without direct, in-person, contact during any phase of the study. Now we can reach all corners of the globe to recruit research volunteers and conduct medical research with sample sizes that are orders of magnitude greater than previously possible for a fraction of the cost."
ResearchKit is a new software framework designed by Apple that helps doctors and scientists gather data more frequently and more accurately from participants using iPhone apps. When granted permission by the user, the Asthma Health app can access health data from HealthKit to track asthma inhaler use measured by third-party devices and apps, or can take advantage of the accelerometer, microphone, gyroscope and GPS sensors built into iPhone to gather other relevant health data.
"This innovative study will explore how researchers can conduct clinical studies at an unprecedented scale by unshackling science from brick-and-mortar constraints," said Corey Bridges, CEO of LifeMap Solutions. "The benefits of flexibility and portability that have made mHealth apps so successful for consumers in the past have the same potential to significantly improve the health of patients and revolutionize medical research."
LifeMap Solutions is working with the Icahn Institute for Genomics and Multiscale Biology at Mount Sinai to develop big data analytics algorithms that will process the unprecedented volume of study data. These algorithms could lead to new discoveries about asthma and improved chronic disease management, and help optimize individual patient care and choices. The partnership combines the experience of LifeMap Solutions in consumer behavior, app analytics, and design with Mount Sinai's renowned expertise in medical research.
"We hope that over time, users of our Asthma Health app will experience less asthma-related distress, better symptom control, improved quality of life, and fewer unexpected medical visits," said Yu-Feng Yvonne Chan, MD, PhD, Director of Personalized Medicine and Digital Health at the Icahn Institute for Genomics and Multiscale Biology at Mount Sinai. "We hope that our app will enable asthma patients to gain greater insight into their individual condition and take charge of their own health. Furthermore, this could be one of the largest real-world epidemiological studies of asthma and offer researchers invaluable insight into the disease process."
The Asthma Health app is available for download today on the App Store.
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