Osceola Community Health Services Integrates New Technology for Diabetes

BALTIMORE, Md. (August 8, 2019) – emocha Mobile Health announced today that Osceola Community Health Services, a federally qualified health center based in Kissimmee, Florida, will implement the company’s asynchronous video technology to help support individuals with Type 2 diabetes. In utilizing emocha’s video Directly Observed Therapy platform, staff and clinicians will have a streamlined way to communicate with patients, and empower them to take each dose of medication throughout their treatment. Osceola Community Health Services is the first organization in Florida to leverage this technology.

 

“We are excited to partner with the passionate team at Osceola Community Health Services to support their patients with diabetes,” said Sebastian Seiguer, CEO at emocha. “Using emocha helps community health centers and their patients improve medication adherence and health outcomes, since medication only works if taken as prescribed.”

 

Patients with uncontrolled diabetes are at higher risk of life-threatening complications and comorbidities, such as heart disease, stroke, kidney failure, infection, and diabetic ketoacidosis. These conditions often require emergency attention and hospitalization, resulting in significant personal and financial costs, but can be prevented by medication adherence. Medication nonadherence is common among patients with Type 2 diabetes, affecting at least half of the population — if not more.

 

With emocha, patients use the HIPAA-compliant mobile application to video-record themselves taking their diabetes medications. They can also report side effects, access local resources, receive medication reminders, and track their treatment progress. Nurse case managers at OCHS can then assess and evaluate data through a secure web portal, engage with patients through the application to provide additional support, and potentially intervene if side effects or nonadherence are reported. The nurse case managers also ensure that diabetes medications are taken properly and educate patients on proper medication technique.

 

emocha is being used to help patients across the country take medications for a number of chronic conditions. The University of Maryland Health Partners, a managed care organization, launched emocha for its patients with Type 2 diabetes. Throughout the United States, emocha is the most widely used asynchronous video solution for public health departments caring for patients with tuberculosis. A NIH-funded study conducted by Johns Hopkins researchers found that emocha helps patients achieve up to 94 percent dose-by-dose medication adherence while saving health departments approximately $1,400 per patient.

 

“Offering emocha to our patients is an innovative strategy to help them lead healthier lives,” says Belinda Johnson-Cornett, CEO at Osceola Community Health Services. “By staying connected to our patients as they take every dose of medication, we can provide support on a timely basis and give patients a true partner in their care.”