Intermountain teams with AMA, Omada to tackle Type 2 diabetes

Intermountain Healthcare is back at it, this time tackling Type 2 diabetes. The company has partnered with the American Medical Association (AMA) and Omada Health to reduce the number of adults developing the condition.

The three will work to create a road map for large healthcare organizations. It will help those organizations to adopt certain online behavior change interventions for at-risk patients as well as integrate programs into provider referrals and clinical workflow.

"Intermountain's integration of the Omada program, and AMA's focus on ensuring digital tools work to empower providers will give patients with prediabetes another proven option to meet their care needs,” said Sean Duffy, Omada Health CEO, in a statement. “It will also give physicians and their care teams additional treatment options, and actionable data to better understand how to deliver lasting lifestyle change for those in need of it."

Omada published peer-reviewed results last year showing that program participants maintained weight reductions and average blood sugar levels for two years after beginning the program. Those are critical indicators of diabetes progression.

"Research shows that participation in evidence-based diabetes prevention programs can cut the risk of developing type 2 diabetes by nearly 60 percent," said AMA President Dr. Andrew Gurman in the announcement. "Online technology such as Omada's program will help Intermountain physicians and care teams stay connected with their patients as they take proactive steps outside of the clinical setting to prevent type 2 diabetes.”

Gurman noted that one in three people are at risk for developing Type 2 diabetes and have an increased risk of other health problems. As such, the AMA is dedicated to preventing this condition, Gurman said.

"The addition of Omada to Intermountain's diabetes prevention program will expand patient access to a CDC-recognized program,” said Dr. Elizabeth Joy, Intermountain’s medical director for community health and clinical nutrition. “We anticipate that access to the Omada program will enhance patient engagement and improve health outcomes."

Intermountain has joined in its fair share of partnerships this year to advance its incorporation of technology into clinical practice. In May, Intermountain began working with Zebra Medical Vision on machine learning for radiology. Intermountain led a $12 million funding round along with other existing investors for the Israeli startup.

In June, Intermountain teamed up with Stanford in an effort to use genomic data to better match patients to clinical trials.

- here's the press release

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