Digital Health Startup Manages Chronic Disease Through Exercise

SAN FRANCISCO, May 21, 2014 /PRNewswire/ -- Beneufit's pdFIT™ system is the first to coach patients through scientifically-validated exercise protocols shown to be associated with a reduction in Parkinson's disease symptoms and delayed disease progression. The system uses mobile devices and wireless sensors to track compliance with exercise protocols and map compliance to established clinical criteria such as manual dexterity and tremor. The result is a healthier patient population and a quantified understanding of exercise's impact on disease management.

In the United States, chronic diseases account for 75% of the approximate $3 trillion in annual health care costs. Over half of US adults suffers from at least one chronic disease. In many cases exercise is more effective than medication for managing these diseases. Beneufit's approach enables physicians to prescribe disease-specific exercise protocols as they do with medication.

"While President of the Buck Institute for Research on Aging we studied chronic diseases including Parkinson's disease in model organisms such as mice.  We and every other research organization showed in many studies that exercise is as 'potent' as drugs on every aspect of chronic disease, including cause of disease, clinical outcome, and quality of life," stated Dr. James Kovach, Beneufit's Chief Medical Officer.

Beneufit's unique approach correlates exercise protocol compliance with clinical endpoints such as symptoms and disease progression. "Our platform understands what you should be doing, how well you are doing it, and how well your efforts translate into effecting your condition," stated Beneufit CEO Jeff Broderick, "Because of the open nature of our platform we can push the most impactful protocols out to our customers as they are discovered."

"We have been working closely with Parkinson's disease patients since October 2013 and have pilots underway with Kaiser Permanente, the YMCA and other health centers nationally," explained Mr. Broderick. "Since we're able to track everyone's performance over time we have a strong understanding of who will receive the most benefit."

The pdFIT™ app is available free in the Apple App store (https://itunes.apple.com/us/app/pd-fit/id858155935?mt=8) and requires Bluetooth 4.0 wireless sensors which are offered for sale at Beneufit's web site (http://shop.beneufit.com).

MEDIA CONTACT
Jeff Broderick - Co-Founder & CEO
Beneufit, Inc
[email protected]
415-500-2770

Photo - http://photos.prnewswire.com/prnh/20140520/89653

SOURCE Beneufit, Inc