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Empowering mental health care patients through personalization

Key facts

  • Ginger.io¹ is an AI-driven mobile application which helps to provide hyper-personalized mental health care – utilizing sensor data collected through a patient’s phone and self-reported information to track patient activities, the app can identify when help is required.
  • Ginger.io aims to drive better health outcomes via behavioural analytics gathered with mobile devices.
  • By continuously monitoring the user, Ginger.io claims it is more effective at targeting care to when the patient really needs it, than regular visits to a clinic would be.

Uniqueness

  • Ginger.io’s mobile app safely and securely uses data from a patient’s everyday mobile usage (time spent on calls, text messages sent) and activity (distance travelled, sleep) to map patient behaviour and detect abnormalities.
  • The app in several cases can predict signs of depression for individual patients up to two days before outward symptoms manifest.
  • Activity data can be automatically linked to care providers and family members to allow for timely intervention in case of abnormalities or emergency.

Value

  • Funds raised: $28.5 million in five rounds.
  • The Ginger.io service has the potential to improve clinical outcomes while reducing healthcare costs.
  • In a small study conducted by Centerstone – the cohort avoided hospitalization entirely during three months, and their needs for home mobility, personal care, nutrition and a safe living environment dropped by 55%.
  • All 10 participants reported confidence in managing their care after the intervention, compared to none beforehand.

Approach

  • Ginger.io uses machine learning and data mining to passively collect and analyze subtle signals of behaviour change to better understand users’ social, physical and mental health.
  • The platform uses latest research in data and behavioural science from MIT Media Lab.
  • Secures personal data using advanced technologies and ensures compliance with established standards.

Ginger.io is one of more than 100 case studies identified as part of the World Economic Forum’s Digital Transformation of Industries initiative.  An overview of the DTI program can be found here.

  1. Sources: www.ginger.io; “Can a smartphone tell if you’re depressed,” Wall Street Journal, January 2015; Multiplyd; WEF/Accenture Analysis
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