Oviva app in first wave of NHS Innovation Test Beds

The app’s creator is Oviva, a digital health Company dedicated to helping people with dietary-related conditions improve their health. Built on the Company's proprietary Support Platform, the Oviva Coach app is designed to help people with diabetes lose weight and improve their glycaemic (sugar) control, in close collaboration with their dietitian. The app makes it easy for people to text their dietitian, record their food intake with photos, track their activity and weight, and record progress towards their goals. The dietitian monitors the inputs via a web-portal and provides tailored feedback, guidance and Support on a weekly basis. All of this happens through a secure channel. In addition to improving clinical outcomes, the app has the potential to increase access to care from a dietitian, and reduce costly missed appointments.

“Our goal at Oviva is to improve patient outcomes and provide significant cost savings for the NHS, and the Innovation Test Bed program is a fantastic opportunity to demonstrate this," said Lucy Jones, a well-known TV dietitian and Head of Dietetics at Oviva.

Innovate UK grant of c. £130,000
The two Test Bed sites include the Diabetes Digital Coach Programme run by the West of England Academic Health Sciences Network, and the Perfect Patient Pathway initiative, led by Sheffield Teaching Hospitals NHS Trust. The Diabetes Digital Coach is also an Internet of Things" site, attracting an additional Innovate UK grant of c. £130,000 for Oviva. More than 2,000 people with diabetes will have the chance to trial Oviva Coach at these sites. Some 4 million people are living with diabetes across the UK so the app has the potential to help many more.

Oviva is further validating initial data from Switzerland, where patients have lost more than 6 per cent of their body weight after three months by combining the app and their usual treatment. This is double the weight loss achieved with face-to-face dietetic care provided in the same location. Use of Oviva Coach has also reduced missed appointments to near zero.

(Press release)