Wellinks teams up with UMass on COPD program

New Haven’s Wellinks, a healthtech company that focuses on chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), has teamed up with the University of Massachusetts on a new program that measures the effectiveness of its virtual care.

UMass Chan Medical School and Wellinks announced they would launch the new program, called Healthy at Home, with the goal of preventing medical complications in COPD patients. 

Researchers will evaluate Wellinks’ virtual COPD management platform program over six months and measure its impact on patient-reported outcomes, healthcare use and costs, with results expected in mid-2023, according to a company statement.

Wellinks Chief Medical Officer Dr. Abi Sundaramoorthy said, “As we build the clinical evidence base for virtual-first COPD care together, we look forward to sharing the results from this program to inform future innovation in COPD care.”

Wellinks’ COPD platform combines virtual pulmonary rehab, health coaching and monitoring through connected devices and a patient-friendly app. It is designed to integrate with existing care plans.

COPD is the third leading cause of death by chronic disease in the U.S. and the fifth most costly chronic disease, with an estimated $49.9 billion spent annually, according to Wellinks.

In March, Wellinks announced a study that reported high patient satisfaction with its virtual COPD platform. The company also said it would soon publish results from a recently completed 24-week study done in conjunction with the COPD Foundation that evaluated its program’s impact on health-related quality of life, health care resource utilization and member satisfaction. 

Wellinks closed a Series C $25 million funding round last fall led by Morningside Ventures.

Located in the Marlin Center at 85 Willow St., Wellinks expanded into a larger 3,000-square-foot space in one of the complex’s buildings in November 2021. 

Contact Liese Klein at lklein@newhavenbiz.com.