Huma to launch digital first CVD health programme

Huma Therapeutics has teamed up with two health partners on a new project aimed at identifying people at high risk of cardiovascular disease (CVD) and helping them to adopt new behaviours to modify their risk.

The digital health company has partnered with Camden Health Partners and UCLPartners to deliver the digital-first programme in North Central London.

The initiative is supported by a grant from the Small Business Research Initiative (SBRI) Healthcare and aligns with the government’s plans to digitise the existing NHS Health Check.

The plans aim to make it more convenient for patients to carry out the checks at home and reduce pressure on GPs.

Dan Vahdat, CEO and Founder of Huma, said

“We are proud to be part of the global movement that is bringing health equity through digital technology to people everywhere.

“Imagine the impact we could make by reaching tens of thousands of people across London alone who may be at risk of cardiovascular disease, making them aware of cardiovascular health, helping educate them and encouraging them to connect with their clinicians.”

People with CVD or at risk of developing it are typically identified during an NHS Health Check.

However, these checks require considerable face-to-face healthcare resources, and some patients do not follow through with appointments to measure biomarkers such as blood tests.

The new digital-first programme aims to expand the Health Check system by:

• Prompting individuals to complete appointments via Huma’s iPLATO multi-channel engagement platform
• Moving the majority of the Health Check to Huma’s remote patient monitoring platform, reducing in-person appointment duration and thereby increasing population screening capacity
• Driving access to online, approved materials which recommend lifestyle changes in line with improving cardiovascular status
• Avoiding digital exclusion by providing enhanced access to face-to-face health checks for those who do not wish to use digital tools.

Kate Cheema, Director of Evaluation and Insights at UCLPartners, said:

“UCLPartners is delighted to be working with HUMA as an evaluation partner.

“CVD is a leading cause of disease and inequality across London and we are looking forward to bringing together staff, patient and stakeholder experience and expertise to demonstrate real improvements for people living with, and at risk of CVD, and to ensuring critical lessons learned are fed back into the healthcare system for the benefit of all.”