In an effort to address and help improve the existing standard of care for men newly diagnosed with prostate cancer, Astellas and Pack Health, a digital health coaching company that helps people access care and self-management skills, are studying how the addition of a digital health coaching program with 500 prostate cancer patients may impact health outcomes through increased patient engagement and symptom monitoring.

"Astellas’ Patient Centricity efforts are focused on exploring innovative solutions that uncover opportunities to help lessen the burden of those who are navigating cancer diagnosis," said Dr. Anthony Yanni, senior vice president, Patient Centricity at Astellas US. "Together with Pack Health and a major medical center partner, we aim to discover insights that ultimately support patient needs and help improve outcomes.”

Men newly diagnosed with prostate cancer who enroll into the test program will receive a personalized toolkit and a non-clinical health advisor who will engage them remotely via weekly coaching calls, texts and emails. Findings from this collaborative project with 500 patients throughout the US – available in 2022 – will help deepen understanding of the patient perspective and explore new ways to reduce burden of disease and improve patient experience. In addition, the program will evaluate the efficacy of prostate cancer treatment interventions, the relationship between digital health coaching and symptom burden, and the impact of financial burden of treatment on quality of life.

After a patient is diagnosed with prostate cancer, it is common for him to have many urgent questions or issues. This is a vulnerable period for the patient, and if his oncologist is not readily available, may lead to emergency room visits. Understanding the impact of symptom monitoring and patient coaching is critical to establishing consistent and proven resources that potentially can improve outcomes.

“There are no known programs evaluating how a digital health coaching program might be used to monitor health and provide coaching for wellness during both active surveillance and prostate cancer treatment,” said Mazi Rasulnia PhD, President and CEO, Pack Health. “We are excited to explore the relationship between medical management, global health and how digital health coaching intervention affects patients in these areas.”

About Pack Health
Pack Health is a digital health coaching platform that integrates evidence-based content, metrics, and devices to deliver highly personalized, human-to-human support. This is considered a high touch engagement model and is proven to increase access, improve experience, and drive better health outcomes for individuals across 25+ chronic conditions. Over the last year, Astellas has worked with Pack Health to explore how digital health coaching can impact patient-reported outcomes among individuals with prostate cancer undergoing both active treatment and active surveillance. The goal of this partnership is to improve both physical and psychological outcomes for these individuals through patient-centered goal setting and evidence-based coaching. Pack Health also partners with leading organizations in other healthcare systems to support optimal outcomes and enhance the well-being of individuals.