Juli, an AI-driven platform designed to aid individuals in managing chronic health conditions, has demonstrated significant improvements in two separate randomized clinical trials (RCTs) focusing on individuals with asthma and depression.
These two studies, conducted in partnership with University College London researchers, both exhibited statistically significant advancements achieved by Juli compared to control groups. This achievement positions Juli within an exclusive category of digital health applications with proven efficacy supported by RCTs.
Juli functions as a comprehensive chronic condition management platform, capable of collecting data from various sources including smart devices, environmental data, electronic health records, and patient-reported outcomes. Its primary objective is to empower patients to self-manage their health while enhancing interactions with healthcare professionals.
In a trial involving 411 patients struggling with poorly controlled asthma, the smartphone-based app was administered to one group for up to eight weeks. This group was compared to a control group using a limited placebo version of the software. The results showed that patients utilizing Juli experienced an average increase of 5.33 points in Asthma Control Test (ACT) scores, rising from 12.60 to 17.93. In contrast, the control group achieved a score of 16.24. This outcome suggests that the app could serve as a valuable addition to existing asthma care pathways. Additionally, Juli users were more than twice as likely to meet the criteria for a minimal clinically important difference (MCID) in ACT scores at eight weeks, defined by a 3-point improvement. However, no significant differences in other secondary outcomes were observed between the two groups.
The depression study, which included 662 participants, followed a similar trend. Patients utilizing Juli experienced an average decrease of 5.31 points in their Patient Health Questionnaire-8 (PHQ-8) scores, dropping from 16.09 to 10.78. Conversely, the control group achieved a score of 11.88. Impressively, 51% of Juli users achieved remission, defined as PHQ-8 scores below 10. They were more than twice as likely to achieve remission compared to the control group.
“Digital health apps have the potential to improve patients’ conditions, but most have not been rigorously assessed in randomized controlled trials. Our studies not only demonstrate the effectiveness of the platform; they also show that Juli works across the very different conditions of asthma and depression, validating our approach to cover multiple chronic conditions, including their comorbidities.”
– Joseph Hayes, professor of psychiatry at UCL and a co-founder of Juli.
Juli was among several digital health startups that received funding from the US federal government in 2021 through the PandemicX accelerator program. This initiative aims to address health inequalities and mitigate the impact of COVID-19. In addition to asthma and depression, Juli has been developed to provide support for patients dealing with bipolar disorder, anxiety, various types of pain, high blood pressure, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), and migraines.
