Ubie and Cushing's Support and Research Foundation Collaborate on AI to Shorten Patient Diagnosis Journey and Raise Cushing's Awareness

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Apr 08, 2024, 10:00 ET

Cushing's Disease is rare and difficult to diagnose, usually having a substantial impact on the physical, mental and emotional wellbeing of patients
The collaboration will validate and fine tune Ubie's disease prediction AI platform and direct potential patients to CSRF's extensive resources
Ubie's AI Symptom Checker aims to play a significant role in shortening the Cushing's patient journey

NEW YORK, April 8, 2024 /PRNewswire/ -- Ubie, a global healthcare AI platform that works at the intersection of patients, providers, and life sciences to guide everyone to better care, and Cushing's Support and Research Foundation (CSRF), today announced a partnership aimed at shortening the time to diagnosis for patients with Cushing's Disease (CD) and Cushing's Syndrome (CS). Cushing's presents a difficult journey, which can see patients visit numerous specialists over many years before arriving at a diagnosis.

Ubie Health and Cushing's Support & Research Foundation Announce Collaboration

This long-term collaboration will involve a validation study of Ubie's Symptom Checker by leveraging CSRF's community of patient advocates to gauge accuracy and provide insights that will lead to better disease prediction. The goal is to ensure the AI tool is an effective screener for Cushing's and helps guide undiagnosed patients on to the right path of clinical care.

Symptom Checker, which is free and accessible by anyone, anywhere, will help close care gaps for Cushing's and reach patients who may not have access to appropriate specialty care. The platform will provide an immediate action plan for users with a potential Cushing's diagnosis based on decades of global diagnostic data, and "best practices" advice from patients who have experienced the process. Users will also be linked to helpful resources and support, like CSRF.

Cushing's Disease is caused by a pituitary tumor that signals the adrenal glands to release too much of the hormone cortisol. Cushing's Syndrome can be caused by many sources including a tumor in the adrenal gland or lung, certain steroid shots and medications, even alcoholism and severe depression. CD is a rare disease, impacting about 10 to 15 people per million in the US each year. CS from an endogenous (inside the body) source is also rare, though it impacts about 40 to 50 per million per year in the US.

All sources of the disease can cause complications, including high blood pressure, bone loss, weight gain, change in appearance, fatigue, anger, brain fog, and even type 2 diabetes. Cushing's also has one of the highest rates of depression for a medical disorder (50-70% of cases). If left untreated, Cushing's can be fatal.

Diagnosis can be difficult because symptoms are similar to other, more common illnesses. A diagnosis can be a long and complex process, taking anywhere from months to years to get a diagnosis, while patients deal with the physical, mental and emotional toll.

"Cushing's is considered the most difficult endocrine disease to diagnose and treat. An AI disease predictor can be a game-changing tool if it is trained by people living with the disease, and we appreciate the opportunity to work with a company whose mission is aligned with the needs of our community including earlier treatment and better quality of life," said Leslie Edwin, President of Cushing's Support and Research Foundation. "This partnership with Ubie supports our mission of increasing awareness of Cushing's disease and uses our collective expertise to help reduce the impact of the disease."

"It's a wonderful opportunity to be able to work with the Cushing's Support and Research Foundation, which has been a driving force in education and awareness around Cushing's disease," said Kota Kubo, Ubie Co-Founder and Co-CEO. "AI is a general term, but patient journeys are nuanced and specific. There's incredible opportunity here to create better patient outcomes when technology providers embrace the expertise and deep understanding of the patient voice from partners like CSRF."

The collaboration has already worked to improve the Symptom Checker Cushing's Syndrome prediction quiz: https://ubiehealth.com/diseases/cushings-syndrome. CSRF has worked with Ubie to frame the questionnaire in more patient-centric language to help patients better declare their symptoms. As with most AI, the output is only as good as its input. By providing better patient self-identification, the tool has the opportunity to more accurately guide patients.

About The Cushing's Support and Research Foundation

The Cushing's Support and Research Foundation's mission is to provide information and support for Cushing's Disease and Cushing's Syndrome patients and their families, to increase awareness in the medical community and the general public about Cushing's Disease and Cushing's Syndrome, and to be a resource for information and support to health care professionals. CSRF works to educate and support patients, caregivers, clinicians, and all relevant stakeholders on and through all aspects of the Cushing's journey. We aim to be a collective voice for the changes we need to see based on our experiences as experts of our own conditions. We are compelled to act because average diagnosis time remains too long, treatment options are not easy or optimal, and patients frequently suffer from inadequate post-treatment care, to great detriment. CSRF is a 501c3 non-profit organization, supported by a Medical Advisory Board, with approximately 3,000 members and counting.

About Ubie

Established in 2017, Ubie is at the forefront of the digital health revolution. Ubie harnesses the power of artificial intelligence to seamlessly navigate individuals towards appropriate healthcare services. Our mission is rooted in the belief that everyone, regardless of location or circumstance, deserves access to easily accessible and comprehensive healthcare. We are committed to transforming this vision into reality by creating a more personalized and user-friendly healthcare experience.

Our global presence is anchored at our headquarters in Tokyo, Japan, situated at the heart of Nihonbashi, and our U.S. headquarters in the bustling hub of New York City. These strategic locations enable us to cultivate and expand our impact on the healthcare industry worldwide.

Learn more about our vision and work at https://ubiehealth.com/company or try our free Symptom Checker at https://ubiehealth.com/.

SOURCE Ubie, Inc.