Swiss pharmaceutical firm Novartis has launched a groundbreaking research study for people with multiple sclerosis (MS) that collects data remotely via their smartphone.
Named elevateMS, this study has been designed to collect sensor-based data relating to physical tasks and symptoms.
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The aims are to improve understanding of the daily challenges of MS sufferers, and to discover new ways of measuring treatment effectiveness through real-time data collection.
An Apple a day…
The study uses a mobile application built on Apple’s ResearchKit platform, software that is already in use at companies such as GlaxoSmithKline and Celgene.
The app allows participants to contribute to research from home or on the go, with minimal disruption.
At the same time, it provides more accurate data of the patient’s everyday environment and reduces the need for clinical visits.
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By GlobalDataBy using smartphones, the elevateMS application will capture participant responses to questionnaires, passive and active sensor-based movement data, and data on functional performance tasks completed by the participants.
Designed with patients
The mobile app was designed with input from patients, neurologists, and MS advocates. Patients were consulted on the app’s user interface, what the study should measure, and how the app should track patient activity and disease symptoms.
Doctor and medical director of the Providence Multiple Sclerosis Center Stanley Cohan said: “As physicians, we always want to know how our patients with MS are doing on the treatments we prescribe.
“With the elevateMS app, study participants can frequently document their symptoms in a personal health story. In turn, this data may provide researchers with new ways to look at disease progression and treatment effectiveness."
MS is a chronic and progressive disease affecting around 400,000 people in the US. Novartis is a leader in MS with three approved medications and additional investigational therapies in early and late phases of development.
Sources
http://www.elevatems.org/
http://www.pmlive.com/blogs/digital_intelligence/archive/2017/august/novartis_trial_marks_researchkit_first_in_ms_1202815#
