Boehringer Ingelheim partners with Solve.Care for blockchain-based healthcare network for diabetes patients

Boehringer Ingelheim Pharmaceuticals has entered into a partnership with healthcare platform Solve.Care to launch a blockchain-based patient-centric care network on the Solve.Care platform.

The Diabetes Care Administration Network aims to improve the well-being of patients with diabetes, who may also be at an increased risk for cardiovascular disease. The objective is to raise awareness about the link between diabetes and heart disease and encourage engagement between patients and providers to proactively address diabetes and associated cardiovascular complications.

According to the press release, the network will use Solve.Care’s proprietary Care.Wallet to support patients managing these chronic conditions and help them optimize and coordinate care with their families and physicians.

“The Diabetes Care Administration Network will help bridge a knowledge gap by providing a platform which offers vital information on diabetes and cardiovascular diseases in an easily accessible manner. This is invaluable in the healthcare ecosystem as it allows patients to gain a better understanding of their disease while also coordinating their care needs,” Pradeep Goel, CEO of Solve.Care, said.

The network will be initially available to over 25,000patients through Arizona Care Network (ACN), a leading accountable care organization in the U.S. and a current client of Solve.Care. ACN will provide concierge care management and support care coordinators, with the goal of achieving better healthcare outcomes for participating patients.

Based on the results of this initial launch, expansion opportunities in the U.S. and globally will be evaluated.

“We are proud to join Solve.Care and the Arizona Care Network to provide patients and providers with additional solutions to help address diabetes and cardiovascular disease,” said Graham Goodrich, vice president, Cardiometabolic Marketing, Boehringer Ingelheim Pharmaceuticals, Inc. “This program will help ensure both patients and providers are proactively addressing life-threatening cardiovascular complications associated with this chronic condition.”

The care network is expected to go live on or before the end of 2019.

Boehringer Ingelheim has already been involved in initiatives aimed at exploring blockchain implementation in healthcare. It collaborated with SAP, AmerisourceBergen, GlaxoSmithKline and others to develop a blockchain-based solution that will help to track and authenticate pharmaceutical packaging returned from hospitals and pharmacies to wholesalers before products are resold.

In February, Boehringer Ingelheim (Canada) teamed up with IBM Canada to look into the use of blockchain technology in clinical trials.