Memora Health CEO Manav Sevak talks partnership with Moffitt Cancer Center

Memora Health uses AI to digitize and automate complex care workflows in spaces like oncology

Memora Health is a company using artificial intelligence to digitize and automate complex care workflows. The company partners with clinicians to deploy care programs that are responsive to specific patient population needs, making adoption and sustainability much easier.

Its customers use its clinical programs to anticipate what symptoms and complications patients may experience and provide them with real-time guidance on how to manage them. The program also reduces visits to the emergency room because patients can anticipate what they will experience. 

Some of the health system that have partnered with Memora include Penn Medicine, Edward-Elmhurst Health, and Dell Children’s Medical Center; last week it added a new one, announcing a partnership with Moffitt Cancer Center, a cancer care and research institution, which will bring together Moffitt's expertise in oncology with Memora's clinical intelligence care platform.

It will also allow Moffitt's clinicians and providers to utilize the platform directly in support of critical patient needs.

Manav Sevak, founder and CEO of Memora Health, spoke to VatorNews about how Moffitt will deploy its software, what kind of data it surfaces, and why its particularly helpful for cancer patients.  

VatorNews: You just announced a partnership with Moffitt Cancer Center. Can you dive into what the partnership entails? 

Manav Sevak: Absolutely. Clinicians worldwide regularly rely on Moffitt’s clinical insights to inform treatment options for patients undergoing cancer care. However, these clinical insights have to date not been leveraged in a way that better informs patient engagement and communication efforts. We’ve worked with Moffitt to incorporate these insights into an oncology care program that will ensure Moffitt’s expertise is reflected at critical points in a patient’s cancer care journey.

VN: Why is a platform like Memora’s important? What effect can patient communication have on health outcomes? 

MS: For oncology specifically, a program like this provides added support during a very vulnerable time for patients and their families. Research shows that 50% of cancer patients report feeling high levels of distress. Memora’s technology provides 24/7, two-way communications with patients around their care, and intelligently triages patient questions and clinical concerns to the appropriate care team members. This means that patients are able to get timely answers and proactive information about their specific diagnosis. This type of engagement can help patients avoid a costly trip to the ER , and help them better manage symptoms at home. It also allows clinicians to practice at the top of their license, taking time consuming tasks off their plate completely so they can fully focus on patient care.

VN : What kind of data does the platform surface to the patient to allow for better engagement?

MS: Patients receive timely, relevant communications via text message that keep them informed, adherent to their care plans, and can help them monitor for symptoms specific to their diagnosis. Studies find that about 33% of patients undergoing cancer treatment may exhibit symptoms that require further assessment. Memora enables clinicians to support these additional messages and questions automatically through our platform, without adding administrative burden to the care team. 

VN: Walk me through a typical use case. What will it look like from the point of view of the oncologist and the patient?

MS: Cancer patients often have complex care plans that come with highly-specific instructions — things like what they can eat, how much activity they should be getting, what kinds of medicine to take and when. Oftentimes these instructions are given in-person at an appointment, and patients go home with a stack of papers with all kinds of information. For someone who doesn’t feel good or who's trying to take it all in or remember what their doctor said, it can be overwhelming. Memora enables the patient to text their symptoms or questions 24/7, receiving timely information and answers. Memora’s platform also helps triage issues, so there’s a level of reassurance for clinicians that any issues that require their attention will be escalated directly to them. For the oncologist who receives a high number of patient messages every day, this 24/7 support and intelligent triaging ensures that the patient is being properly supported in-between appointments. 

VN: Have you been able to calculate any ROI so far for oncologists and their patients? If so, can you share that with me?

MS: This partnership has just kicked off, but Memora’s platform has been shown to reduce EHR inbox messages by up to 40%. Using Memora’s care programs, 75% of patients report adhering to their medication regimen, and as much as 59% of symptoms experienced by patients have been managed without staff intervention.

VN: What is the end goal with this partnership? What does success look like?

MS: We anticipate this partnership will show impact on a few different levels. First, for the patients: navigating the healthcare system and a new cancer diagnosis or treatment regimen is hard, and we want to make that as easy as possible. Next, we believe that Memora’s platform will reduce the volume of inbox notifications a clinician receives, helping every oncologist practice at the top of their license and giving them back time in their day to focus on patient care. Lastly, we believe there’s an opportunity for other cancer care practices to leverage the insights from Moffit to better support patients within their own institutions.