McKesson Foundation Contributes to a Greater Understanding of the Role of Mobile Technology in Chronic Disease Management
San Francisco, CA - October 4, 2011 - The McKesson Foundation today announces $1.4 million dollars in research funding to the second generation of Mobilizing for Healthsm grant recipients. With these funds, researchers from six esteemed institutions across the country will investigate how mobile phones can be used to improve the lives of underserved populations suffering from chronic diseases.
The funded studies aim to provide a clearer understanding of how mobile phones can be used to improve health outcomes, and the study findings could indirectly impact millions of patients around the world.
Each study will be completed by April 1, 2013 and all are designed to work within community health clinics serving low-income patients.
The 2012 Mobilizing for Healthsm grant awards winners are:
Baystate Medical Center
Purpose: Develop and field test an integrated mHealth solution to improve daily adherence to medications and blood glucose and blood pressure monitoring among older Type 2 diabetes patients.
Albert Einstein Medical Center
Purpose: Test the hypothesis that providing doctors and nurses with regular feedback from their diabetic patients using integrated mobile phone technology will result in improved blood sugar control.
Center for Connected Health, Partners HealthCare
Purpose: Integrate a text-messaging program to the existing DSME program at Massachusetts General Hospital and study whether SMS improves the frequency and consistency of feedback for patients.
Medic Mobile
Purpose: Develop and pilot an SMS-based appointment validation tool to automate the process of confirming and rescheduling appointments for low-income diabetic patients.
Scripps Whittier Diabetes Institute
Purpose: Test the effectiveness of using a mobile health application in improving the management of diabetes in a recently diagnosed diabetic Latino population.
Vanderbilt University Medical Center
Purpose: Design and testing of a mobile assessment and intervention system for low-income adults with Type 2 diabetes.
"The Mobilizing for Healthsm research grants allow us to increase the evidence base for mobile health interventions," said Carrie Varoquiers, President of the McKesson Foundation. "The use of mobile phones in healthcare seems very promising, especially in low-income populations with chronic diseases, but we need to better understand what works before these interventions can be scaled."
Letters of Intent for the next Mobilizing for Healthsm grant cycle will be accepted beginning in January, 2012. Interested applicants can visit the grant program's web site for further details on this program and the eligibility requirements.
Background: McKesson Foundation Vision and Mission
Founded in 1943, the McKesson Foundation envisions a world where affordable, quality healthcare is available to all. The Foundation is dedicated to supporting McKesson employees' community involvement efforts and improving the health of patients through improved healthcare quality, personal health management, and lower healthcare costs. To that end, each year the McKesson Foundation contributes more than $5 million to nonprofit organizations working in our communities.
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