PRESS RELEASE
George Brown College and MEMOTEXT to collaborate on new patient adherence intervention platform
George Brown College students will work with MEMOTEXT Patient Adherence Solutions on the research and development of a new patient adherence program
TORONTO (March 8, 2011) – George Brown College is collaborating with MEMOTEXT, a patient adherence and medication compliance company, to develop an inference-based telephone/short message service (SMS) based communications program for an overseas health stakeholder-based research project.
As part of a Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council of Canada (NSERC) grant, with support from George Brown College’s Office of Applied Research and Innovation, this collaboration allows MEMOTEXT to work hands on with multiple George Brown students in their respective fields. The program focuses on identifying patients’ psychological, historical and literacy levels as barriers to following a Type 2 Diabetes treatment regimen. MEMOTEXT is working with students from the Information Systems Business Analyst and Health Information Management programs; each bringing their own unique level of expertise to the project.
“We are very excited to have been awarded with this incredible opportunity,” says Amos Adler, President of MEMOTEXT Corporation. “We are thrilled to work with faculty, administration and the students to develop their practical experience and meet the challenges and expectations we have for this project.”
Students will develop and assist in the creation and development of the documentation and ongoing statistical analysis for the program. The project will employ the use of the MEMOTEXT methodology and communications platform. Communications will be short, personalized questionnaires and subsequent educational, reminders, and cognitive behavioural therapy (CBT) related messages. The questionnaires are intended to identify customer attitudes towards health and potential barriers to fully following their medicines regime. Specific customer responses will then be used to adapt message flows to individuals. The objective is to maximize relevance, enhance beliefs and ultimately improve the medicine taking behaviours of patients.
"This partnership shows the value of giving our students the opportunity to apply their learning to industry problems,” says Dr. Robert Luke, Assistant Vice President, George Brown College’s Office of Applied Research and Innovation. “Linking education to applied research helps our industry partners address R&D challenges while providing students with advanced training on innovation."
Designed to help maintain a healthy treatment regimen, this new adherence program provides patients reminders using telephone interactive voice recordings and SMS text messaging. George Brown College students are helping automate the inference-based algorithms used to segment and deploy message interventions. Aside from reminders, the program offers educational tips, recipes, and motivational quotes. By providing real-time reminders, patients are receiving individualized alerts, which integrate seamlessly into their regular routine.
“MEMOTEXT has presented our students with an unbelievable opportunity to work and learn within their field of interest. Gaining this kind of hands on experience is more than invaluable to their respective futures.” says Tyler Krimmel, Project Coordinator and Instructor from George Brown College.
About the George Brown College Office of Applied Research and Innovation
The Office of Applied Research and Innovation gives industry partners access to expert faculty and highly-skilled students. The Office of Applied Research and Innovation’s expertise – from food science, to design, to health and sustainable technology – helps industry to accelerate the applied research process and deliver solutions that can be easily implemented. For more information, please visit www.georgebrown.ca/research.
About MEMOTEXT
The leader in speech, social and mobile, medication compliance interventions, MEMOTEXT integrates behaviour modification, education and real time support into the everyday lives of patients using technology appropriate to the patient population and condition. MEMOTEXT’s ability to learn and remember previously reported knowledge, intentions, and behaviours allow the treatment medication compliance platform to modify content and dialogues for the same individual over time. For more information about MEMOTEXT visit www.memotext.com or call 1-877-636-6898.
For more information, please contact:
Amos Adler
MEMOTEXT
647-430-8233 ext. 104
amos@memotext.com
Robyn Breslow
APEX Public Relations Inc.
416-924-4442 ext. 256
rbreslow@apexpr.com
About George Brown College
Toronto’s George Brown College has established a reputation for equipping students with the skills, industry experience and credentials to pursue the careers of their choice. From its two main campuses located across the downtown core, George Brown offers 148 full-time and 1,600 continuing education programs across a wide variety of professions to a student body of approximately 63,000 (including those enrolled in full-time, part-time and continuing education programs). Students can earn diplomas, post-graduate certificates, industry accreditations, apprenticeships and four-year bachelor degrees.
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For more information, please contact:
Paul ZanettosMedia Relations Consultant
George Brown College
Office: 416-415-5000 ext. 3428
Mobile: 416-893-5435
pzanetto@georgebrown.ca