people at risk for diabetes with a coach who helps them live healthier lives. (That’s a common theme in consumer-facing digital health apps.) Bolstered by what it says are clinically significant outcomes for its program, Omada wants to move its disease prevention platform into other conditions whose course can be altered by lifestyle changes.
Beyond Omada, however, the world is waiting to see how much of what is being offered under the umbrella term of digital health is actually improving health. This seems particularly true of the idea of putting applications and other tools into the hands of consumers or patients (or, as we used to call them, people) to help them take more charge of their health. It’s also early days for Rock Health as an investor. Of its dozens of investments, four have so far turned into exits:
—Pipette, software for health care providers to monitor patient recovery, was bought by Ginger.io in 2012 for an undisclosed sum.
—Sessions, a personal exercise planner, was bought this year by MyFitnessPal for an undisclosed sum.
—Wello, a provider of two-way video for fitness coaching, was bought by Weight Watchers this April for $9.1 million in cash and stock, according to Weight Watchers regulatory filings.
—A women’s personal health site, ChickRx (“expert advice to get happy, healthy and hot”), was acquired by an undisclosed buyer this year.
Rock Health also said Monday that health care firm Abbott, insurer Blue Shield of California, and consultancy firm Deloitte are new corporate partners. They join a long list of other firms the company is working with at various levels.
