Problem: Lifestyle diseases are nowadays prevalent such as diabetes, heart disease and even cancer is now recognized as lifestyle disease [1]. The main culprit behind these is our lifestyle factors such as wake up times, sleep times, quality of sleep, eating habits, tobacco and cigarette habits etc. These factors are known to cause disease over time (years). For example, smoking cessation have been recognized as an effective way to prevent heart attack [2] .The effect of these lifestyle factors on disease development is so subtle that a person often ignores them. Or one can say, a person has no way to keep a check on them even if they want to.
Solution: This is where FimbleFits comes in!! Here, FimbleFits have developed a system of collecting user lifestyle habits through a whatsapp based chatbot. The bot is supplemented with a doctor/lifestyle expert interaction module which allows experts to give weekly guidance to users based on their daily inputted data to steer him/her towards a healthy lifestyle.
How it works: Below image shows a flow chart of information flow in our platform and snapshots of whatsapp messages exchanged between users and bot and counsellers/doctors. In brief,
- A user registers on our whatsapp platform by saying ‘hi’ to the bot and tells the bot what aspect of their lifestyle they wish to change.
- From next day onwards, user starts receiving regular text messages motivating him/her to change their lifestyle (based on his/her desired lifestyle change input).
- And also the bot asks for the level of lifestyle habit he/she did change the previous day.
- This user response is then collected over the week and then team of doctors and wellness experts looks at the data and consult them over whatsapp bot.
- The consultation message is then received by FimbleFits bot.
- The bot then forwards the message to the user.
This whole feedback starting from user input and ending with feedback to user creates a cycle which then slowly steers a user towards a lifestyle towards his/her desired change.
Below is a data of sleep quality, on a scale of 1 to 10 (10 is good quality sleep and 1 is bad quality sleep) inputted daily by a user and is plotted against days. This data shows interesting trends. For example, the user had a bad sleep quality 1 day before the last day of his input. Expert medical and lifestyle counselor can then ask the user in detail as to what happened that day and motivate user to incorporate good lifestyle habits so that user’s sleep quality improves overall.
Validation: Lots of studies have established the effectiveness of text based messaging in helping with treatment.
For example, A Community Health Worker-led home-based counseling, supplemented by regular text messages, led to an increase in quit rates for smoking in India [3]. A simple text-based smoking cessation intervention has the potential to improve the uptake of effective smoking cessation interventions [4].
The application telehealth and digital therapeutics to address suicide attempts is another reflection of the rapidly expanding potential of digital technology to address many areas of unmet need in healthcare [5]. Here, a text message based intervention reduced the odds of having any suicidal ideation (80% vs 88%) and making a suicide attempt (9% vs 15%) [6].
In another example of testing effectiveness of text based messaging in blood pressure control, in a trial of adherence support program delivered by SMS text message in a population of adults with high blood pressure, a small reduction in systolic blood pressure was found compared with usual care at 12 months [7].
Studies have also been done in diabetes patients where sweet talk-A text message based support system was associated with improved self-efficacy and supports adolescents with diabetes. Here, HbA1c improved in patients randomized to intensive therapy and messaging [8].
In another case of reducing substance abuse behaviors, text interventions had a positive effect on reducing substance use behaviors [9].
Having more physical activity is beneficial for patients with Pulmonary arterial hypertension (PAH). In a small trial of patients with Pulmonary arterial hypertension, text message-based mobile health trial showed the feasibility of increased physical activity in patients with PAH [10].
And finally a weight loss study showed that at the end of 4 months, the text message based intervention group lost more weight than the comparison group [11].
Programs: Presently our bot is helping people manage following aspects of their lifestyle:
- Remaining physically active
- Waking up early morning
- Anger Management
- Reducing tea intake
- Managing blood pressure
- Pills intake reminder
- Smoking cessation
- COVID symptoms tracking
- Improving sleep quality
- Depression
- Reducing hastiness and being impatient
- Reducing carbohydrates intake
User can enroll in these programs by clicking on the bot link and get more information from websites as well as social media accounts.
Applications: The whole platform is based in whatsapp and thus can be easily integrated in big organizations/wellness centers as well as NGOs working towards public health.
BotLink: https://wa.me/message/QWP6GICKAJAXM1
Website: https://www.fimblefits.com/
Twitter: https://twitter.com/fimblefits
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/fimblefits
Contact:Email: [email protected] Phone: +919310814996
References:
- https://www.indiatoday.in/lifestyle/health/story/cancer-is-more-of-a-lifestyle-disease-today-dr-shyam-aggarwal-oncologist-1161532-2
- https://millionhearts.hhs.gov/data-reports/factsheets/ABCS.html?fbclid=IwAR2EpKrx8YCoB0n0BBii-m4PRkx3Kxiznw-TVZQoxvyI7qTzni51URhgBMs
- http://www.tobaccopreventioncessation.com/A-combined-community-health-worker-and-text-messaging-based-intervention-for-smoking,132469,0,2.html
- https://jamanetwork.com/journals/jamainternalmedicine/fullarticle/2495276
- https://www.forbes.com/sites/greglicholai/2021/07/15/digital-age-offers-new-promise-for-suicide-screening-risk-assessment-and-treatment/
- https://jamanetwork.com/journals/jamapsychiatry/fullarticle/2723658?guestAccessKey=9589535a-3dc6-4958-af72-a8e819f57694&utm_source=twitter&utm_medium=social_jamapsyc&utm_term=2124819861&utm_content=followers-article_engagement-image_stock-tfl&utm_campaign=article_alert&linkId=63386577
- https://www.ahajournals.org/doi/full/10.1161/CIRCULATIONAHA.115.017530
- https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/j.1464-5491.2006.01989.
- https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/24930386/
- https://journal.chestnet.org/article/S0012-3692(21)00699-1/fulltext?utm_content=180125315&utm_medium=social&utm_source=twitter&hss_channel=tw-1371517382884171778
- https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/19141433/