Diabetes has had an enormous impact on the health systems of countries around the world in the last few years. Effective diagnosis has made many people aware of it, but few know how to handle the impact effectively. The team at Gendius have found a way of allowing people to actively track and monitor their condition. We take a closer look at how they’ve managed to achieve this formidable feat.
Tracking and monitoring the state of someone’s diabetes is no easy feat, but that’s what the team at Gendius have managed to do. With care and attention, this innovative digital health start-up and mHealth innovator have designed Intellin®, a way of seeing how the body is working and collecting data that can be used to improve this in the long run.
Intellin® came about thanks to the work of Rory Cameron and Chris Genders. Chris was an experienced sales director in the Pharmaceuticals scene as well as a diabetic. Bringing to the table an intimate knowledge not only of what it is like to have diabetes, but also how to improve the condition of others, he partnered up with Rory to bring Gendius into life. Rory brought an exceptional track record of success starting up businesses in the Pharmaceutical scene, allowing Gendius to quickly grow into one of the market leaders in mHealth.
The team’s flagship product is Intellin®, designed specifically for those who have diabetes. While there are many apps available on the market, Intellin® stands apart as a way of highlighting not just the symptoms of diabetes, but the risk profile a person falls into. In this way, Intellin® works as an advisor for many, guiding them to a healthier lifestyle.
The power of data has risen exponentially in many different fields over the last few years, but healthcare is an area in which this information could be utilised to make a real difference to people’s lives. The challenge has always been two-fold, firstly to collect accurate information about an individual and secondly to translate that information into an action plan that the individual can carry out.
To achieve this goal, Intellin® is made of two separate systems, each intertwined for the betterment of health. Firstly, there is the app. This end is handled by the person with diabetes, gathering data and information. The other end of Intellin® is a secure dashboard for the healthcare team. Because both are designed by Gendius, it is possible for the data collected from the individual to be transformed into personalised, tailored, clinically-validated educational content. Everyone’s experience of diabetes is different, and using the latest systems is the only way of ensuring that suggestions are thoroughly bespoke.
No one would consider arguing with the impressive systems that have made this process possible. Intellin® uses a proprietary smart algorithm to assess and interpret users’ comprehensive healthcare information. The collection of this data can be done in a number of ways, either through manual input, a direct link to a patient’s medical records or automatic syncing with a connected smart device. This data is then processed to highlight the most likely areas for diabetes complications, with reference to a clinical healthcare team.
Tracking and monitoring the state of someone’s diabetes is no easy feat, but that’s what the team at Gendius have managed to do. With care and attention, this innovative digital health start-up and mHealth innovator have designed Intellin®, a way of seeing how the body is working and collecting data that can be used to improve this in the long run.
The app is then used to provide tailored, medically approved educational content. Finding this content, information that can be practically applied and is medically accurate, lies at the heart of the Intellin® operation. If managing this challenging condition is down to finding the right resources, the team at Gendius have opened people’s eyes to a new way of working and living their lives.
Of course, Intellin® is by no means unique in its position as a diabetes app. The team have taken steps to ensure that they operate in a way that is thoroughly unique. For years, the ability to track blood glucose and blood pressure has been the key to the service these companies have provided, but the addition of clinical advice adds an element of urgency to what Intellin® offers. Instead of just being a collection of data, the data is proactively used and extrapolated. Instead of being a basic medical record, Intellin® is an app which acts as a diabetes ‘sav-nav’, helping people to plan for their futures.
Having something solid to hold onto is a lifesaver for those with diabetes. It is so easy to be bombarded with a wealth of information, often out of context and with no easy way of applying it. The validation processes that are championed by Intellin® means that any information from the app is medically approved, backed up by internationally recognised accreditations such as ISO27001 and NHS DSPT, as well as the team’s rating with the mHealth reviewer ORCHA.
Of course, one of the aspects that really sets Intellin® apart is its enormous compatibility. The app has been designed to work closely with more than 150 apps and connected health devices, ranging from Fitbit and Garmin devices, to blood glucose monitors, blood pressure cuffs and continuous glucose monitors (CGM). The team know that the use of wearable technology to monitor the body has increased rapidly over the last few years, particularly amongst those people who have chronic health conditions. Ensuring that everything was compatible was a key part of the design process for Intellin®, therefore. It has proven to be one of the most appealing aspects of the app.
The firm has been proud to partner up with some of the most influential Pharmaceutical companies in the world. Many have yet to fully embrace the potential of mobile apps, such as those offered by Gendius, but the team have recently signed an agreement with AstraZeneca to integrate Intellin® into their educational platform, initially across the Gulf region. This impressive achievement is one more step towards breaking barriers between patients and healthcare providers.
Another recent partnership with digi.me will allow the firm’s users to automatically connect their NHS health records to Intellin®. Once connected to digi. me, Intellin® will automatically the health record data into its analysis engine. It is also an exciting development for Gendius’s work with the NHS, as this will allow the team to work with NHS CCGs and Trusts much more effectively.
This impressive record of growth is a credit to the team, and will not be slowing down any time soon. The recent partnerships that the team has championed have allowed for extraordinary results, but are not the only tack that Gendius has explored. Crowdfunding has proven to be incredibly popular, and the team leveraged this in a campaign of their own. In an impressive move, they managed to raise over £380,000, which was more than 700% of the original target. This added money can now be used to invest in bigger and better projects that will bring in an extraordinary return.
The growing interest in Intellin® is a credit to the way in which the team operates. It shows not only that the app has a future, but that it is filling a necessary niche for those with diabetes. That it does so in such an effective way is a reflection on the foundation of the business, with co-founders Rory Cameron and Chris Genders providing much needed focus on the three different aspects that have made the business a success, namely their expertise with the medical industry, their ability to sell a product and the personal knowledge that allowed them to create a product that people were interested in.
What Intellin® offers is something that simply hasn’t been on the market before. It’s the reason that in the rapidly growing mHealth space, the team have been able to ensure 300,000 downloads worldwide, with more than 60,000 monthly active users. Only 7% of health apps manage to gain more than 50,000 active users, and the team at Gendius have achieved this level within a year of operation. It’s clear that when it comes to diabetes management, the demand is there, and the demand is huge.
With such high demand comes a degree of responsibility to ensure that the information imparted to users is of the highest quality. The medical field is obviously one that is not static. It is in constant flux. This means that the team are in contact with leading industry experts to advise on any new information for the Intellin® app that could be of benefit.
Some members of the board have been specifically appointed to act in an advisory capabity. Two of the latest additions are Debbie Hicks and Mike Farrar CBC. Debbie is a leading voice in Diabetes health and co-founder of TREND-UK – an award-winning group of diabetes nurses, while Mike is the former Chief Executive of the NHS Confederation. Having these resources to gather information from ensures that Gendius is always one step ahead of the competition. Few other companies could claim with such confidence to be at the forefront of innovation in diabetes management and digital health.
Of course, it’s not just medical practitioners who make up the Intellin® app a great resource. The feedback from users has been invaluable when it comes to incorporating new features and updates to the process. It’s a process that has enabled the team to connect more closely with their users, ensuring that their product continues to deliver the service that is expected of them.
Looking ahead, the future for Gendius seems incredibly exciting. The success of the Intellin® platform has opened many doors to the team that had not previously been considered. At the moment, the team are in detailed talked with global partners as they look to expand the reach of their product. The importance of mobile health apps has become increasingly obvious during the COVID-19 pandemic and is a service that can be scaled across borders incredibly effectively.
In the UK, there has been a huge reduction to the usual support services available for people with diabetes, making the remote management apps into a vital resource for patients of all sorts. This could well be the tipping point of huge structural changes to healthcare systems around the world, with large-scale reorganisation of healthcare towards remote management and supporting patients with long-term conditions at home. There can be no doubt that mobile apps will be at the centre of that change, with companies like Gendius at the forefront.
The team are also exploring the potential of their algorithm, working with a data scientist to develop and refine what it can offer. This is a large-scale data project that will require significant investment, but generates extraordinary opportunities. Using the data that is already to hand will allow the team to refine the Intellin® risk management algorithm so it can have a greater effect on users.
Alongside this, is the way that Intellin® constantly uses user data to improve itself. By knowing not only how people use the app, but what keeps them coming back to it, the team are able to drive their own development as a firm. This continued reflection that pushes the platform forward is what has allowed the team to support people around the globe with their remote diabetes management needs.
It goes without saying that Gendius offers a truly unique service. It’s a service that is based not on monitoring, but on action. These actions are guided by datasets and medical professionals, who are ensuring that people with diabetes are finding the best way forward for themselves. Often, it’s confusing to tackle an overwhelming amount of information. What the team at Gendius have developed is a way of synthesising that information down so that an individual knows what path to take. This is why they are leading the way when it comes to medical applications, and why they will continue to lead the world forward for years to come.
Company: Gendius Ltd
Contact: Charlotte Mee
Website: www.gendius.co.uk
Email: [email protected]
