Atlanta-based Shepherd Center and digital health technology firm Evidation Health formed a collaboration to quantify the lived experiences of individuals with specific neurological diseases, as well as the impact digital health interventions may have on clinical outcomes.
Officials at the Shepherd Center said the goal of the partnership aims to enable people from across the country with neurological diseases such as multiple sclerosis to participate in prospective outcomes studies through digital health solutions.
Through Evidation Health's Real Life Study Solution, Shepherd Center researchers will be able to simplify the way in which they gather information during the studies. The software aims to automate online consent and enrollment, collect real-life data during study execution, and link the behavioral data with medical and contextual data to quantify the impact digital health interventions may have on individuals' experiences.
"Behaviors can be one of the most significant determinants of health," said Deborah Backus, PhD, director of multiple sclerosis research at The Eula C. and Andrew C. Carlos Multiple Sclerosis Rehabilitation and Wellness Program at the Shepherd Center. "We're excited to work with Evidation Health to correlate what we learn in a patient's visit to the clinic with digital health behavior data for a more continuous picture of their everyday lives. This will have a profound impact on how we integrate technology to meaningfully enhance outcomes for people with neurological conditions."