New mHealth Application from QuantiaCare Extends the Influence of Physicians Over their Patients Needing Exercise

WALTHAM, Mass.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Quantia has partnered with Diabetes Educator Gary Scheiner MS, CDE, to create an innovative mobile exercise application called DailyCoach™ on its QuantiaCare™ platform. DailyCoach, available on the iPhone, Android, smartphones, tablets and the Web, is a free app that provides coaching on simple and fun ways for patients to increase activity levels. The application was created in response to a 1,000-patient study, conducted with participating members on QuantiaCare, which found that half of the respondents felt that exercise and weight loss were the most difficult issues in managing diabetes.

“With QuantiaMD, our mobile and online physician community, one of our guiding principles is that we should always add value for our members, and one of the ways we can do this is by improving their ability to influence their patients outside the office”

The Quantia study also found that one-third of all respondents had been advised by a physician to make lifestyle modifications, including exercise. Furthermore, the Centers for Disease Control (CDC) currently recommend that adults over 18 should have at least 150 minutes a week of moderate-intensity aerobic activity, such as brisk walking. The DailyCoach application was created for those with, or at risk for, diabetes, patients with cardiovascular conditions or obesity issues, and for anyone who would benefit from increased exercise.

DailyCoach engages patients with Scheiner’s practical advice delivered in bite-sized pieces, in an interactive mobile viewing format, which includes voice, text, easy-to-understand graphics and images, and fascinating questions and answers. Anyone can register for the application, and Quantia provides a simple means for physicians to recommend the service to their patients. DailyCoach is the next in a series of interventional mHealth applications powered by Quantia’s QuantiaCare platform, and follows the release of EatSmart™ with Hope Warshaw, a popular diabetes application providing simple meal planning tips and tricks.

"In my experience, people who are given activity options beyond traditional exercise are more likely to increase their activity level," said Scheiner. "This QuantiaCare application works so well because it is safe, flexible, on the spot, and constantly updating. There is always something fresh and interesting to explore."

Gary Scheiner MS, CDE, owns and operates Integrated Diabetes Services, specializing in intensive blood glucose control and lifestyle intervention for people with diabetes. An award-winning Certified Diabetes Educator, Scheiner received his diabetes training with the world-renowned Joslin Diabetes Center. He has authored five books, including, Think Like A Pancreas and The Ultimate Guide to Accurate Carb Counting, as well as dozens of articles. Scheiner sits on a number of advisory boards and speaks at national and international meetings on diabetes, fitness and motivation.

The DailyCoach app focuses on finding fun and engaging ways to increase activity levels, and its short, 1-3-minute segments, also teach users how to set goals, track their progress and reward themselves. Other segments focus on exercise safety and routines for various settings (home, work, commute, etc.). The application also includes:

Weight tracking tools such as a weight diary and BMI calculator
Pharmacy and health professional locator
The ability to fax or e-mail summary reports to a selected physician

“With QuantiaMD, our mobile and online physician community, one of our guiding principles is that we should always add value for our members, and one of the ways we can do this is by improving their ability to influence their patients outside the office,” said Michael Paskavitz, Editor in Chief of Quantia. “We recently conducted a study of our physician members and found that, on average, they felt patients were only about 30% adherent to diet and exercise regimens. By giving our physicians the ability to share DailyCoach with their patients, as well as get results back from them, we are reducing mutual access barriers between doctor and patient within the time constraints of the physician and the lifestyle barriers for their patients.”

The DailyCoach application is currently available for free download from the Apple App Store and Android Market and can be found on the Web at https://dailycoach.quantiacare.com/.

About Quantia

QuantiaMD® and QuantiaCare™ are branded services developed and operated by Quantia Communications, Inc., a privately held corporation headquartered in Waltham, Massachusetts, USA. QuantiaMD is the largest mobile and online physician community where over 125,000 U.S. physicians learn, connect with their peers, and respond to a wide variety of interactive medical cases and presentations. QuantiaCare is a set of powerful mobile and online health management and assessment tools, education, and communications designed to help patients manage their health. For more information, visit http://www.quantiamd.com/home/corporate_about_us

QuantiaCare and MoveSmart are trademarks of Quantia Communications, Inc. and QUANTIAMD is a registered trademark of Quantia Communications, Inc. All other product names and references contained herein remain the service marks, trademarks, or registered trademarks of their respective owners.