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just two weeks of analysis, he was able to draw a geographical map that indicated the frequency and distribution of the messages, managing to draw useful information on the propagation of a given infection. It is a very simple use of big data from Twitter, yet it has resulted in a surprising tool, as well as one that has been extremely useful for the health-care professional. If we raise the level of analysis complexity, then it becomes clear that the impact could be more meaningful. The elaboration of these and other data could give rise to many other fundamental aspects related to the health of each one of us.

Conversa Health

      Conversa, founded in 2014, with headquarters in San Francisco, California, has developed a new, simple, and effective method for patients to communicate with their health-care team. Conversa has created a library of more than 1,000 smart conversation programs on many medical issues, including asthma, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), congestive heart failure, diabetes, hypertension, and many others, through which it can offer automated and personalized doctor–patient conversation experiences. These lead to more informed and meaningful relationships with patients, more efficient management, better clinical outcomes and, last but not least, a significant economic savings. Thanks to Conversa and to the data from more than 400 biometric devices, combined with clinical data of the patients and their feedback, the teams of health-care professionals can process the data in real time, making the distribution of health-care resources more efficient and adjusting care plans continuously, bringing them where they are needed. Coversa's digital controls use data-driven algorithms to generate clinical questions, reminders, and personalized alerts for each patient's profile. All the data received (and generated) by patients is included in the patient's electronic medical record and in the management system of his or her health assistance, which makes it possible for the teams of health-care professionals to respond quickly to the needs that may arise and to monitor people's health over time.

To date, there are several U.S. health-care facilities that use the Conversa platform to offer smart, automated conversation experiences based on patient profiles. These include, among others, Northwell Health, Ochsner Health System, Citrus Valley Health Partners, and Penrose St. Francis Health Services. The results seem to be impressive. For instance, among patients who had joint replacement surgery, there was a 20 percent reduction in care because of reduced need. This led to an average savings of $3,400 per patient over a 90-day period. More than 80 percent of the patients using Conversa's automated conversation experience said they felt more involved in their treatment.

One Drop

      One Drop is an integrated system consisting of a wireless glucometer having essential and futuristic lines. It is also an app available on iOS and Android in 10 different languages, including Russian, Arabic, and Chinese. One Drop is used by people with diabetes in more than 200 countries around the world.

Thanks to One Drop, users can set up alerts for taking their medications, they can view their blood glucose data and its evolution over time, obtain statistical averages, set goals, track weight trends, see insights based on the recorded data, and provide and receive support from community users who can offer tips and advice to help them manage their diabetes. The full integration with Apple Health, Google Fit, Dexcom, and Fitbit allows One Drop users to cross-reference their blood glucose data with those related to fitness and nutrition, and to obtain other information useful for their overall health. The ability to integrate the surveys makes it possible to reduce the need for continuous attention to manual monitoring of the functions related to physical activity, duration and quality of sleep, and heart rate. To further deepen its level of knowledge, One Drop exploits the enormous potential of its database providing the community that it has gone on to build with more detailed indications. One of the most important goals for the foreseeable future, at least in the United States, is to connect health-care professionals to the One Drop information network, providing them with a more detailed picture of their patients' situations, making it possible to help them establish personalized treatments. To ensure this technology can be used by as many people as possible, One Drop offers its services and supplies for diabetes also on a monthly subscription, thus allowing people to have the daily management tools they need without the obligation of insurance, prescriptions, appointments, and so forth. Subscription plans include glucose measurement through the wireless glucometer, home delivery of glycemic test supplies, and 24/7 support from expert diabetologists. One Drop is available in the United States, Canada, the European Union, and the United Kingdom, and it can also be purchased using platforms such as Walmart, Amazon, and Best Buy, helping many people improve the way they manage diabetes.

      In 2019, One Drop launched an AI-based predictive algorithm that can forecast blood-sugar levels up to eight hours out using Fitbit activity detectors and Dexcom glucose monitoring systems. In August 2020, the company signed a licensing and investment agreement worth $40 million with Bayer for the use of its technology in other sectors such as oncology, cardiology, and women's health. Starting in 2021, One Drop joined forces with Bayer and SCOR, the fourth-largest global reinsurer, to bring its AI-powered digital health platform to life for insurance carriers and policyholders across the United States.

Sensely.com

      In the United States, a team of scientists is working to bring a human face to telemedicine. I am talking about Sensely, a San Francisco–based digital health and insurtech platform, which has developed a virtual nurse that can help health-care professionals and patients monitor and manage patient health in a new and efficient way. With a smiling face and a reassuring voice, the avatar designed by Sensely is a computer interface that uses ML to support the chronically ill between medical visits.

The incredibly realistic nurse avatar, amicably nicknamed Molly, was designed to have access to a patient's records so it can ask appropriate questions about the patient's past history and respond to new requests. Molly has a kind and thorough demeanor that puts the patient at ease, and interacting with the avatar is a surprisingly natural process. Molly responds to patients' requests, interacts in discussions, and is able to interpret the movements of a patient's body. When a patient needs to be “visited” by Molly, he or she poses in front of a Kinect sensor, an accessory that is movement-sensitive and was originally developed by Microsoft for the Xbox 360 gaming console. Kinect can capture a patient's image and relative position in space and send it to Molly. Once this has been done, the person states what his or her problem is. Suppose the patient is undergoing therapy for the reduction of a bursitis. He or she can raise the affected arm and show Molly, who will be able to determine if the therapy is obtaining the desired results. The Kinect sensor's skeletal tracking capabilities allow Sensely to measure the patient's range of movement and calculate changes since his or her last visit or interaction. Additionally, since the Kinect sensor records a clear view of the patient, Molly can guide him or her through appropriate therapeutic exercises. A growing number of health-care professionals and hospitals are recognizing the value of applications like Sensely. San Mateo Medical Center in California is one of several U.S. hospitals that have recently “hired” Molly to be part of their staff. The added value of such solutions is particularly evident in the treatment of patients who suffer from long-term pathological conditions and therefore require frequent monitoring of certain parameters such as blood pressure or blood sugar.

      Remote treatment of a patient is less expensive and generally more efficient than on-site assistance. For this reason, solutions such as Sensely also offer a clear cost advantage to providers and insurers. A recent study has shown that Sensely reduced patient calls to health-care professionals by 28 percent, and freed nearly one-fifth of the day for those health-care professionals involved in the study. But above all, the Sensely nurse offers the promise of improved results, more frequent health monitoring and greater involvement of patients in their own care. It's something to think about the next time you're waiting in your doctor's waiting room.

      The company recently closed a round of investments worth $15 million, finalized at increasing the number of languages available on the platform, to further expand into North America, Europe, the Middle East, Asia, and Australia.

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