StrivePD Guardian launched to better personalized Parkinson’s care
Service by Rune Labs is designed to aid patients in managing their condition
Rune Labs has launched StrivePD Guardian, a personalized care delivery service to help Parkinson’s disease patients manage their condition more effectively by combining expert coaching with artificial intelligence (AI)-driven health monitoring.
The program pairs the StrivePD mobile app with an Apple watch, offering users continuous monitoring of symptoms and daily routines. The data are used to help optimize patient care and disease management between doctor visits.
“Now available to all patients, StrivePD Guardian borrows from the successful real-world use by health systems to deliver a holistic solution directly to [people with Parkinson’s disease] and caregivers,” Brian Pepin, CEO of Rune Labs, said in a company press release. “It combines a dedicated human coach with AI-driven insights and provides … support, beyond [patients] bi-annual or annual doctor visits.”
Parkinson’s is caused by the progressive dysfunction and death of the nerve cells responsible for producing dopamine, a brain signaling molecule involved in controlling movement. The loss of dopamine leads to the disease’s motor symptoms, such as balance and gait issues and slowness in moving.
“Managing Parkinson’s is a continuous process, yet most patients only see their neurologist a few times a year. That leaves a huge gap where symptoms can fluctuate and critical insights get lost,” said Peter Lin, MD, a neurologist at Valley Parkinson’s Clinic, in Los Gatos, California. “Having access to AI-driven insights and expert coaching could lead to better patient outcomes and a more proactive approach to managing Parkinson’s.”
What is StrivePD Guardian?
StrivePD Guardian is a subscription service where users are paired with dedicated coaches who support and monitor patients through their plan. By accessing data gathered in the StrivePD App, which was cleared by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration in 2022, each coach will be aware of a patient’s disease journey.
Data collected via the Apple watch include FDA-cleared measures of symptoms and daily routines. Using the app, patients can also set medication reminders, and track treatment effectiveness and side effects.
The care service also includes AI-based technology to combine data on symptoms, medication side effects, and activities recorded by Apple Fitness or logged on StrivePD, along with notes on blood pressure, sleep, and mood.
The data are transformed into actionable insights that can help patients make informed decisions with their healthcare team, such as defining strategies for managing symptoms and developing exercise programs. The service also provides proactive risk management with timely alerts on potential high-risk events, such as falls or disease complications.
Also, the service is designed to keep family members informed and involved on their loved ones’ care plan, whether they are nearby or away from them.
The company previously conducted a nine-month pilot study that tested the StrivePD app on 138 people with moderate to severe Parkinson’s, ages 39-88, and a mean disease duration of six years. All the patients responded to levodopa, a mainstay Parkinson’s treatment.
During the study, the participants used the Apple Watch to gather data for the app at least six hours a day, seven days a week.
After nine months, users saw a 42% reduction in emergency room visits and needed 18% less time with movement disorder specialists. Moreover, 90% increased their exercise levels, with about half exercising more than 2.5 hours a week, while medication adherence increased in 80% of the participants.
Keith Narasaki, a StrivePD Guardian user with Parkinson’s, said StrivePD Guardian has helped him be more mindful of the need to exercise.
“Since using the service, I’ve been able to follow an exercise plan that works for me, helps keep my heart rate up, and actually shows my progress through my data,” Narasaki said. “I feel stronger, more in control of my movements … my symptoms and off time are more stable, especially when I take Rytary regularly, get enough sleep, exercise in the morning, and drink [two to four] liters of water a day.”
Off periods are times when the medication’s effects wear off and symptoms return or worsen.
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