Free COVID-19 health tracking app launched to help Canadians track and manage their health and provide frontline researchers and public health officials real-time large-scale open-source public data

TORONTO, April 6, 2020 /CNW/ - Self Care Catalysts (SCC), a digital health company that creates patient-centered disease tracking apps for clinical research around the world, today launched a free app to help Canadians reduce the spread of COVID-19.

The app enables millions of physically isolated Canadians to track their daily health and monitor developing symptoms so they can accurately report changes to frontline healthcare professionals. It also facilitates vital contact-tracing when users track interactions. 

The app guides Canadians on how to prevent infection, what to do if they believe they are infected, and how to protect their mental health. It provides up-to-date, verified information on the status of the pandemic in Canada and responsible guidance on how to interpret the data for peace of mind.

Canadian data donors help the helpers.

By agreeing to donate their de-identified digital data (they may also use the app without donating), Canadians will be generating critically needed real-time, large-scale COVID-19-specific data which will be securely shared with the Roche Data Science Coalition. Self Care Catalysts is coalition collaborator. The Roche Data Science Coalition collaborators, as well as patients, clinicians, infectious disease specialists, epidemiologists and data scientists, will use this data to accelerate research efforts, evaluate solutions and ensure COVID-19 knowledge mobilization globally.

"By leveraging the SCC team's deep knowledge and years of experience in patient-centered, real-world-evidence research, the app can help improve patient outcomes by supporting patient behaviour to prevent the spread of COVID-19 while collecting public health data from beyond burdened healthcare systems," said Grace Castillo-Soyao, Founder and Executive Chair at Self Care Catalysts.

"The Roche Data Science Coalition believes that one important way in which the world can win the fight against COVID-19 is by bringing actionable insights to patients, frontline healthcare practitioners, supply chains and governments. The Self Care Catalysts tool will bring forward the patient voice and truly activate this community in the fight against this pandemic," said Fanny Sie, Strategic Healthcare Partner, Artificial Intelligence and Digital Health at Roche Canada.

The free app is available now on the App Store, Google Play, and is also accessible on the web under the name "Health Storylines".

About Self Care Catalysts: Self Care Catalysts, a purpose driven digital health company, is widely known for its expertise powering population health interventions, real world evidence research and digital therapeutics through proprietary digital tools integrated with external remote monitoring devices.

About Roche
Roche is a global pioneer in pharmaceuticals and diagnostics focused on advancing science to improve people's lives. The combined strengths of pharmaceuticals and diagnostics under one roof, combined with a focus on innovation, have made Roche the leader in personalized healthcare - a strategy that aims to provide patients with timely access to their best possible healthcare solution.

Roche is the world's largest biotech company, with truly differentiated medicines in oncology, immunology, infectious diseases, ophthalmology and diseases of the central nervous system. Roche is also the world leader in in vitro diagnostics and tissue-based cancer diagnostics, and a frontrunner in diabetes management. 

Founded in 1931, Roche Canada is committed to searching for better ways to prevent, diagnose and treat diseases while making a sustainable contribution to society. The company employs more than 1,200 people across the country through its Pharmaceuticals division in Mississauga, Ontario and Diagnostics, as well as Diabetes Care divisions in Laval, Quebec.

Roche aims to improve patient access to medical innovations by working with all relevant stakeholders. Roche Canada is actively involved in local communities through its charitable giving and partnerships with organizations and healthcare institutions that work together to improve the quality of life of Canadians. For more information, please visit www.RocheCanada.com.

SOURCE Self Care Catalysts Inc