Pfizer and Ada Health, a digital health company, announced the launch of the COVID-19 Care Journey, a platform to connect patients to antiviral therapy treatment options, Thursday morning.
The online platform’s aim is to reduce the time between testing and receiving treatment for patients infected with COVID-19 below the five-day threshold. The COVID-19 Care Journey offers patients resources to see if they are at an increased risk of contracting severe COVID-19.
Then, if they test positive, the tool offers connectivity to an independent telehealth provider within two hours for evaluation and potential treatment at a “low out-of-pocket cost.” Treatment options include a prescription for Pfizer’s oral COVID drug Paxlovid, all available to patients without having to leave their homes.
As of right now, the COVID-19 Care Journey is available in 36 states as well as Washington, D.C., but will be available nationwide next week.
Claire Novorol, chief medical officer and co-founder of Ada Health, said the offering is intended to promote the timely delivery of care in an affordable way for patients.
She noted that one sticky challenge during the pandemic has been ensuring patients are aware of programs and services at their disposal should they get infected with COVID-19. This is an example of two organizations getting people to physicians that can prescribe appropriate medications and assist them in ways that most people may not have known about previously, she added.
Novorol also said the collaboration is a significant step forward for digital health by making care more seamless for patients while also raising awareness of critical risk factors for severe infection.
Looking forward, Novorol said Ada Health is exploring opportunities to replicate this model for additional care journeys with other healthcare partners.
“Connected digital health initiatives are a key step in lower cost, faster, more equitable, and more convenient access to healthcare,” JoyL Silva, Global and U.S. Antiviral Franchise Lead for Pfizer, said in a statement. “Our collaboration with Ada is designed to educate patients on high-risk factors for severe COVID-19 and introduce choices for people to access a provider and learn about treatment options.”At the HLTH 2022 conference in Las Vegas, Ada Health chief commercial officer Jeff Cutler joined the MM+M Podcast to discuss the company’s chatbot-guided app that helps users determine if they need to see a doctor as well as working with biopharma on content designed to help patients better navigate the care journey.
