Digital health app, juli has demonstrated its effectiveness in assisting individuals dealing with asthma or depression, according to two separate randomised controlled trials.
Developed in Boston, juli is an AI-powered app designed to help users manage chronic health conditions, such as asthma, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, generalised anxiety disorder, major depressive disorder, bipolar disorder, migraine, hypertension, and chronic pain. It employs data from electronic medical records, smartphones, wearable devices, environmental factors, and patient questionnaires to generate personalised recommendations. These suggestions may include incremental physical activity goals, indoor exercise during high pollution days, and medication reminders. The app incorporates a journal feature and a gamified aspect where users can earn points and trophies for making positive behavioural changes.
Bettina Hein, the CEO and founder of juli, explained, “We analyse the data from these behavioural changes and use it to identify triggers and effective interventions, which we then feed back into the app as well as a dashboard for clinicians. This way, we ensure that patients receive timely support based on their unique needs."
Currently available for free on the Apple App Store (primarily for trial recruitment), juli generates revenue by selling its services to healthcare providers and pharmaceutical companies. The company remains discreet about its current customer base.
In collaboration with University College London, juli conducted two randomised controlled trials, focusing on asthma and depression. The asthma trial involved 411 participants, while the depression trial enrolled 908 individuals. Half of each group used juli for eight weeks, while the other half used a limited functionality version of the app. The severity of asthma symptoms was assessed using the Asthma Control Test, and depression symptoms were measured using the Patient Health Questionnaire-8, both commonly used scales for these conditions.
The results of the trials were noteworthy. The asthma group exhibited an average improvement of over five points on the Asthma Control Test, indicating fewer instances of shortness of breath or inhaler usage. The depression group also experienced a similar average improvement of over five points, indicating positive changes in appetite and sleep patterns. Dr. Joseph Hayes, a professor of psychiatry at University College London and co-founder of juli, expressed enthusiasm about these results, especially in the context of depression treatment, which often struggles to find effective interventions.
Though juli initially focused on asthma and depression, it aims to extend its research to evaluate its efficacy for other health conditions in the future. This innovative approach differentiates juli from other companies, such as Omada and Livongo, which address single chronic conditions.
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