Taking New Technology from Research to Commercial Scale: The SureAdhere Story with Dr. Richard Garfein and Dr. Kelly Collins

In this episode we chat to renowned epidemiologist, healthcare innovator, and educator Dr. Richard Garfein and social entrepreneur and infectious disease epidemiologist Dr. Kelly Collins, as they share their journey of turning an idea from research in academia into a successful commercial enterprise. They discuss their experiences in starting SureAdhere, licensing the software from UCSD, and signing up health departments to use the technology. You’ll also hear about their work in using Video Directly Observed therapy (VDOT) to transform tuberculosis (TB) treatment, and how they expanded their company's reach to cover diseases from hepatitis C to opioid use disorder. The episode highlights the importance of following evidence-based decision-making and empowering patients and healthcare workers alike by leveraging technology, innovation, and passion.

Topics include:

• The development of Video Directly Observed Therapy (VDOT) technology
• The role of DOT and VDOT in healthcare interventions
• Telemedicine during COVID-19 and beyond
• Digital technology to support medication assisted treatment and opioid use disorder-The importance of evidence-based decision-making in developing and testing technology
• The decision to start a company to scale VDOT technology and make it more widely available
• The challenges of licensing the software from UCSD and signing up health departments to use the technology
• The impact of VDOT on improving patient experiences and healthcare provider efficiency.
• Lessons learned from the experience of starting and growing SureAdhere
• The decision to join forces with Dimagi
  

Related Resources:

• SureAdhere: https://www.sureadhere.com /
• The Stop TB Partnership: https://www.stoptb.org 
• The UK National Health Service: https://www.nhs.uk 
• The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention: https://www.cdc.gov  
• Verizon Foundation: https://www.verizon.com/about/responsibility/grant-requirements

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