Brown2020

HEALTH BUDDY IMPROVES ASTHMA OUTCOMES IN RANDOMIZED TRIAL
Children’s Hospital of Oakland publishes study in Archives of Pediatrics & Adolescent Medicine

Mountain View, CA - March 20, 2002 - Health Hero Network, Inc., today reported study results showing the Health Buddy® interactive health monitoring device improved asthma outcomes and self-management behaviors in inner-city children. The randomized 90-day trial was designed by faculty at the University of California, Berkeley School of Public Health and clinicians at Children’s Hospital of Oakland with support in part by an unrestricted grant from Merck & Co, Inc. The study compared patients using the Health Buddy to patients using an asthma diary where both groups were given the same education program based on recommended practice guidelines approved by The National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute (NHBLI). Outcome measures focused on limitation in activity, perceived asthma symptoms, absence from school, peak flow readings and use of health services.

The Health Buddy intervention was designed to enable children to assess and monitor their asthma symptoms and to transmit this information to health care providers through their Health Buddy device. Content for the program included clinical guidelines for asthma symptom management while also presenting asthma facts, trivia questions, immediate feedback and praise to motivate children and enhance learning. Results showed patients randomized to the Health Buddy had 48% fewer odds of having a limitation in activity and significantly fewer odds of peak flows in the red/yellow zone, after controlling for other factors. Additionally, children with the Health Buddy were less likely to make urgent calls to the hospital.

“The findings of our study shows that the Health Buddy interactive monitoring device seems to be an effective tool for empowering children with asthma to control their symptoms, comply with use of medications and possibly reduce the burden of asthma on the health care system”, said Sylvia Guendelman PhD, Division of Health Policy and Management. “In the next phase we will test the effectiveness of the Health Buddy in a naturally occurring health care environment instead of in an experimentally controlled situation”.

“Many of our customers have reported improvements in care for a wide range of chronic diseases by using our remote health monitoring solutions, and we are happy to see improved patient outcomes confirmed in randomized controlled trials involving children”, said Steve Brown, CEO of Health Hero Network.

About Health Hero Network
Health Hero Network, Inc., based in Mountain View, California, develops and markets the industry leading technology platform for remote health monitoring, evaluation and management. The Health Hero platform includes the company’s Health Buddy® and other licensee devices for data collection and communications with patients, and iCare Desktop™, an Internet-based care management and research solution for healthcare professionals. Health Hero Network also provides a secure data center acting as the repository for application services and collected data, and programs for over a dozen major chronic diseases. Health Hero Network licenses its platform to medical technology and services companies seeking a technology blueprint proven to enable better chronic care with lower costs to the healthcare system. Health Hero Network technology is protected by over 50 issued U.S. patents. For more information about Health Hero, visit www.healthhero.com.