- Kidney disease kills more Americans every year than breast
or prostate cancer, but 9 in 10 don't know they have the disease,
leading to late diagnosis and irreversible damage
- The collaboration will fine tune Ubie's Symptom Checker AI
with the goal of accelerating time to diagnosis for patients to
improve outcomes and ensure proper education
NEW
YORK, July 18, 2024 /PRNewswire/ -- Ubie, a
global healthcare AI platform that works at the intersection of
patients, providers, and life sciences to guide everyone to better
care, and the American Kidney Fund (AKF), the nonprofit with the
greatest direct impact on people with kidney disease, today
announced a collaboration focused on assessing and fine-tuning
Ubie's Symptom Checker disease prediction AI with the goal of
driving patients to faster diagnosis, allowing them to receive
faster treatment earlier in the disease progression, thereby
improving outcomes.
The need for accelerated diagnosis is critical, as most people
diagnosed with kidney disease are in the late stages and need
immediate attention since symptoms don't appear until the kidneys
are already badly damaged.
AKF and AKF Ambassadors living with kidney disease will assess
and validate Ubie's AI tool, imparting their knowledge and
insights. Incorporating real-world patient feedback will allow Ubie
to further increase the algorithm's accuracy in diagnosing kidney
disease, while also ensuring that language used on the platform is
aligned with the community. Ubie will guide patients who receive a
differential diagnosis of kidney disease on its free platform to
AKF's educational resources and comprehensive support services.
Kidney diseases are a leading cause of death in the US, with
chronic kidney disease (CKD) being the most common, affecting more
than 1 in 7 U.S. adults. Early diagnosis and treatment is critical
to the survivability of patients. Shortening the timeline to
diagnosis is even more pressing considering patients who progress
to end-stage kidney disease (also known as kidney failure) face a
shortage of donor organs. About 97% of people who develop kidney
failure must start dialysis. The waiting list for a kidney can last
years, and 13 people die every day while waiting.
"The AKF's collaboration with Ubie will result in an important
new tool to help those at risk seek an earlier and more accurate
diagnosis, supporting our efforts to close access gaps in kidney
disease and increase kidney health equity. Getting immediate
access to education on kidney disease can empower patients to
better understand how to live with the disease and its
comorbidities," said LaVarne A.
Burton, President and CEO of The American Kidney Fund.
The burden of kidney disease is highest among historically
disadvantaged populations. These populations often have limited
access to healthcare and specialists, creating a barrier to
diagnosis, treatment and education, which further increases
disparities in health outcomes. The risk of CKD is even greater for
those with diabetes or high blood pressure, the two most common
causes of kidney disease, accounting for 2 out of 3 new cases.
Nearly 1 in 3 people with diabetes and 1 in 5 people with high
blood pressure have kidney disease.
The AKF is the nation's leading kidney nonprofit, working on
behalf of the 1 in 7 Americans living with kidney disease. The
partnership will help improve access to trusted information about
the cause of a patient's kidney disease, providing clear and
actionable information, and the ability to get much needed
treatment much sooner than the status quo.
"Ubie is constantly pushing the boundaries of accuracy in AI. We
fine-tune our Symptom Checker disease by disease to ensure that we
are providing a tool that can speed access to patients anywhere in
the US," said Kota Kubo, Ubie Co-Founder and Co-CEO. "Partnering
with the American Kidney Fund, with their unparalleled
understanding of the patient voice, helps us build even better
products. Together, we share a vision of a future where technology
empowers patients to take control of their health."
Ubie is dedicated to advancing healthcare by leveraging
cutting-edge disease prediction technology to enhance patient care
navigation, treatment and overall health outcomes. The company's
patient-facing Symptom Checker is used by more than 10M patients each month to get personalized
guidance on health concerns and identify best care options.
CKD can be treated to stop disease progression and, hopefully,
prevent kidney failure. However, there is no cure, and kidney
damage cannot be reversed. The earlier kidney disease can be
addressed, the less damaged a patient's kidneys will be.
More about Chronic Kidney Disease
Chronic kidney disease (CKD) means you have lasting damage to
your kidneys that can get worse over time. When kidneys are
damaged, they lose the ability to filter wastes and fluids out of
the blood. Wastes can then build up in the body and harm a
patient's health. CKD is broken out in 5 stages based on kidney
function (identified through an eGFR test), with Stage 5 meaning
that the kidneys have stopped working completely. Patients with
Stage 5 CKD may need dialysis or a kidney transplant. The economic
burden of kidney disease is significant, costing our health system
approximately $126 billion
annually.
About the American Kidney Fund
The American Kidney Fund (AKF) fights kidney disease on all
fronts as the nonprofit with the greatest direct impact on people
with kidney disease. AKF works on behalf of 1 in 7 Americans living
with kidney disease, and the millions more at risk, with an
unmatched scope of programs that support people wherever they are
in their fight against kidney disease—from prevention through
transplant. AKF fights for kidney health for all through programs
that address early detection, disease management, financial
assistance, clinical research, innovation and advocacy. AKF is one
of the nation's top-rated nonprofits, investing 97 cents of every donated dollar in programs, and
holds the highest 4-Star rating from Charity Navigator for 21
consecutive years and the Platinum Seal of Transparency from
Candid, formerly known as GuideStar.
For more information, please visit KidneyFund.org, or connect
with us on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram and LinkedIn.
About Ubie
Founded in 2017, Ubie empowers individuals and healthcare
professionals with the tools they need for better care. Leveraging
cutting-edge disease prediction AI, Ubie guides 10+ million
patients every month to seek appropriate medical attention through
its free online Symptom Checker, and equips 1,500+ provider
organizations with clinical tools that streamline workflows and
support better diagnoses and health outcomes. Trained on medical
data, Ubie's marketing solutions power advanced targeting
capabilities and high-performing digital campaigns for 70% of the
world's top life science companies.
Learn more about our vision and work at
https://ubiehealth.com/company or try our free Symptom Checker at
https://ubiehealth.com/.
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SOURCE Ubie, Inc.