COVID-19 monitoring program launched by PRA Health Sciences
PRA Health Sciences, a CRO based in Raleigh (NC, USA), has announced the launch and commercial availability of a COVID-19 monitoring program. The program – a three-tiered, mobile-app driven initiative – will allow payers, employers, providers and health systems to track the physical and mental health of individuals during the COVID-19 pandemic.
Users will be assigned to one of three groups based on their COVID-19 disease status. The first group, the ‘educational’ program, is for asymptomatic individuals. This group will track vital signs and provide prevention techniques and mental health support.
The second group, the ‘quarantine’ program, is for individuals who have been exposed to COVID-19. This group will connect users to a healthcare professional, ensure users know what to watch out for and provide support to address feelings of fear and isolation.
The third group, the in-depth monitoring program, is for individuals still at home and diagnosed with COVID-19. This group will address symptom management and frequent monitoring by a healthcare professional.
Participants who download the app on their personal devices will be able to report health metrics including body temperature, pulse oximetry and heart rate. Users will also be able to report features of COVID-19 symptoms such as coughing, fever and shortness of breath.
PRA Health Siences’ nurse-led clinical call center staff will be evaluating information reported through the COVID-19 monitoring program on a daily basis. These clinically trained staff can address users’ physical symptoms as well as the social and psychological impacts users may be experiencing.
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Kent Thoelke, Executive Vice President and Chief Scientific Officer (PRA Health Sciences) explained: “The COVID-19 pandemic has shown the critical need for organizations of all sizes to be able to remotely assist individuals in monitoring their health and wellbeing. Given the scale of the COVID-19 pandemic, we are about to see our healthcare system and its infrastructure significantly stretched. With this program, individuals can have the peace of mind that they can connect with a healthcare professional from the comfort of their own homes while maintaining social distancing. Having the ability to interact with individuals remotely during this uncertain time is critical to maintaining the infrastructure and capability of the healthcare system as well as safety of patients and business continuity.”
PRA Health Sciences are currently in discussions with academic institutions, health departments, private businesses and governmental organizations to deploy the COVID-19 monitoring program. The program can be updated to reflect changing guidelines due to its use of the cloud-based Harmony Digital Health Platform.
