Chronic disease management sits at the bulls-eye of the healthcare cost challenge. Currently, chronic diseases account for \u201c$1.1 trillion annually, or one-third of total US healthcare expenditures.\u201d[i]<\/a> Diabetes alone costs $230 billion.[ii]<\/a> The disease affects 9.5% of the population and costs employers $4,500 per year in lost productivity and higher medical costs.[iii]<\/a> Projected cases of diabetes are expected to skyrocket:<\/p>\n The most effective method of managing diabetes \u2013 even more so than powerful drugs like Metformin \u2013 is lifestyle changes, specifically avoiding a sedentary lifestyle and losing weight.[v]<\/a> Realizing this, many physicians prescribe diabetes programs to help their patients lose weight.\u00a0\u201cThe operating model of traditional diabetes programs involves a 16-week program at a brick-and-mortar, where the patient has to get in their car, drive to a center, sit there for 60-120 minutes, and potentially find a babysitter.\u201d[vi]<\/a><\/p>\n Omada Health, a startup based in San Francisco, realized the friction in this operating model and developed a digital solution. The Omada Prevent<\/em> program enrolls patients in groups of 10-12 into a 16-week program focused on healthy eating and exercise. Each group is assigned a \u201chealth coach\u201d, who lends support through text messages and voice calls and tracks each patient\u2019s progress digitally. The program is rooted in behavioral science and leverages the social networking power of groups; members encourage one another to continue to make healthy decisions. Prevent<\/em> also features quizzes and learning modules; the digital operating model allows for asynchronous learning, as the material has been optimized for mobile, tablets, and laptops.[vii]<\/a><\/p>\n![\"diabetesepidemic\"](\"https:\/\/d3.harvard.edu\/platform-rctom\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/4\/2016\/11\/DiabetesEpidemic-300x176.png\")
\u00a0<\/a>[iv]<\/a><\/p>\n