Program will give 100 patients access to award-winning care and education platform
Cricket Health (@crickethealth) a developer of technology-enabled care solutions for chronic kidney disease (CKD) patients, and the American Kidney Fund (AKF) (@KidneyFund), the nation’s leading nonprofit working on behalf of the 30 million Americans with kidney disease, announced a collaborative partnership to bring education and support to advanced stage CKD and end-stage renal disease (ESRD) patients.
Over the next eight weeks, 100 advanced stage CKD and ESRD patients from AKF’s patient Advocacy Network will voluntarily enroll into Cricket Health’s award-winning online kidney care platform, which connects patients and their loved ones to structured, multi-channel educational content, virtual healthcare expertise and a robust community of peers and patient mentors in order to help them make informed decisions regarding ongoing disease management and treatment options. These 100 patients are the first large group participating in the platform, which Cricket Health is refining for a wider commercial rollout to providers and health plans seeking a comprehensive education and care management program for CKD and ESRD patients.
At no cost to them, patients enrolled through AKF will have access to education relative to their condition, a virtual kidney care nurse moderating texts and chats, and the Cricket Health community of patient peers and mentors.
“As organizations deeply committed to the best health outcomes for the patients we serve, AKF and Cricket Health are logical partners in helping bring technology and patients together,” said LaVarne A. Burton, president and chief executive officer of the American Kidney Fund. “Cricket Health’s platform is a great complement to the patient-focused programs and services we provide.”
CKD affects 30 million adults in the United States, but because the condition can remain asymptomatic for a long period of time, most patients go undiagnosed until they have already progressed toward kidney failure. In fact, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention estimates that fully 96 percent of people with early stages of kidney disease are unaware of it. Patients diagnosed with late-stage CKD or ESRD may find themselves abruptly thrown into a health care management system with critical education and care coordination gaps.
“The lack of timely and comprehensive CKD education represents an enormous missed opportunity to increase rates of home dialysis therapies and kidney transplantation among eligible patients,” said Vince Kim co-founder of Cricket Health. “We are excited to work with a leading advocate like the American Kidney Fund to enhance the quality of life for these patients and demonstrate a better way to provide patients the tools and resources necessary to make enduring decisions about the care and management of their disease.”
Cricket Health was co-founded in 2015 by Vince Kim, a former General Partner at Aberdare Ventures, a leading healthcare technology venture capital firm, and CEO Arvind Rajan, a former senior executive at LinkedIn.
About Cricket Health
Cricket Health is a developer of scalable healthcare technology services designed to fundamentally transform the care and treatment of people with chronic kidney disease (CKD) who are at high-risk of progressing to end-stage renal disease (ESRD). Cricket Health’s goal is to significantly improve patient’s lives and reduce the clinical, psychosocial and economic burdens associated with chronic kidney disease. Cricket Health’s flagship education platform HOPE helps CKD patients understand their treatment options and plan ahead to ensure an orderly transition for those who progress to ESRD. The company’s team and advisors include leaders in healthcare, technology and design from Stanford, UCSF, LinkedIn, Twitter, Facebook, and Aberdare Ventures. Cricket Health is based in San Francisco, CA.
About The American Kidney Fund
As the nation’s leading nonprofit working on behalf of the 30 million Americans with kidney disease, the American Kidney Fund is dedicated to ensuring that every kidney patient has access to health care, and that every person at risk for kidney disease is empowered to prevent it. AKF provides a complete spectrum of programs and services: prevention outreach, top-rated health educational resources, and direct financial assistance enabling 1 in 5 U.S. dialysis patients to access lifesaving medical care, including dialysis and transplantation.
