BBK Worldwide, a provider of patient recruitment and engagement technologies and services, is partnering with Apptomics, a provider of digital health solutions for patients living with chronic neurological conditions, to develop a new suite of mobile apps for patients, caregivers, physicians and payers.

The first digital health solution, iMotor, measures and monitors motor performance for patients with Parkinson’s disease and will be utilized in a randomized Parkinson’s study later this year. Also under the new agreement, BBK Worldwide will assume a minority stake in the company and BBK Principal Matthew Stumm has been appointed to Apptomics’ board of directors. Additional terms were not disclosed.

Hundreds of millions of people are affected by neurological conditions worldwide, most meeting with their neurologists just two to three times a year. Patients and their families take responsibility for the vast majority of chronic disease management and care, including symptom reporting. Today, neurologists rely on patient-reported “snap-shot”-type information that is often incomplete and subjective and obtained during infrequent in-clinic assessments. When precise information is lacking, critical opportunities for proactive therapy refinement are missed, outcomes are less than optimal and care is potentially compromised.

With solutions like Apptomics’ iMotor and MyPD, patients can record motor function, emotional status, sleep quality, medications, symptoms, compliance and side-effects and seamlessly share data with actionable insights with their neurologists—resulting in more accurate clinical assessments, faster optimization of treatment regimens, and reduced overall healthcare costs.

“A steady rise in neurological diagnoses is contributing to deteriorating patient care and an increased burden on a limited number of providers,” said Apptomics Founder and CEO Dr. Georgia Mitsi. “Validated digital solutions like ours are critical to bridging today’s healthcare gaps, and I look forward to working with BBK during this next phase of Apptomics’ growth. I believe that our partnership will help make innovative technology accessible to patients, caregivers and healthcare professionals. Digital health is becoming central to improving everyday care.”

Apptomics has completed two patient studies in collaboration with the University of Cincinnati that prove the scientific validity of their Parkinson’s disease digital health solution. iMotor can accurately discriminate Parkinson’s disease from healthy volunteers and detect effects of treatment with high sensitivity using proprietary technology and algorithms. Later this year, BBK and Apptomics will work with recognized neurological institutions in the U.S. to conduct a 12-month controlled trial focusing on the solution’s impact on disease management, patient outcomes and healthcare utilization of resources for Parkinson’s disease.

“Today’s neurological care is limited by subjective clinical evaluations during patient visits to the clinic, and lack of objective measures to quantify movement,” said Dr. Fredy J. Revilla, Chief of the Division of Neurology and Clinical Professor, USC School of Medicine, Greenville. “Patient status between visits is difficult to assess as physicians have to rely on historical information, frequently insufficient or inaccurate, which further deepens the problem. The development of technologies that can measure neurologic symptoms remotely is critical to bridge this gap in knowledge.”

“Bringing better treatments and treatment plans, to the millions of patients who need them, starts with improved engagement and communication—and clearer understanding of disease symptoms and progression,” said Stumm. “We’re thrilled to be partnering with Apptomics, an innovative company that is, like us, deeply committed to helping patients and their healthcare providers leverage the benefits of mHealth technologies for optimal care.”