Evidence Improving patient outcomes and clinical efficiency
Patients and clinicians both benefit when they work together. This helps them choose the right treatment for each patient and help better meet their treatment goals.
Fora Health supports treatment optimization through shared decision-making Citation number: [], a gold-standard [Citation number: , Citation number: ] evidence-based health communication technique for physical and mental healthcare that improves patient engagement and outcomes. [Citation number: –Citation number: ]
Our treatment optimization platform is co-created with patients and clinicians, tested in clinical research and real-world deployments, and scalable across diverse patient populations.
Improved patient engagement and outcomes
Patients with depression who used Fora Health saw significantly greater symptom improvement, felt more confident actively engaging in their care, and said they were more able to participate in their work and social lives after treatment.
Increased clinical efficiency and reduced healthcare utilization
In patients with depression, Fora Health decreased the need for primary care visits by 40% and for referrals to secondary care 2.5-fold, while improving patient outcomes.
Consistent patient and clinician engagement
Over the course of 6 months, 45% of patients with depression used the app at least once a week for 6 months. Across studies, clinicians report using Fora Health to inform clinical care and conversations with patients.
Meeting personal treatment goals
Patients with depression provided with Fora Health report meeting more of their personalized treatment goals.
Changing and optimizing treatments
Adolescents taking off-label antipsychotics or 3+ psychiatric medications and their caregivers have worked with their clinicians to optimize their medications using the shared decision-making tools in Fora Health.
After using Fora Health, one third of teens successfully tapered and one quarter halted at least one medication to minimize side effects while maximizing benefit.
Current live projects
- Depression
Fora Health is currently being used to support individuals living with depression through several pilot deployments across the United States.
Designed for use by primary care providers, behavioral health professionals, and community health workers, it offers secure web access and integration within Epic.
- Bipolar disorder
Fora Health is currently being used to optimize treatment with patients with bipolar disorder at the South London and Maudsley NHS Foundation Trust.
This clinical trial is led by King’s College London and supported by the National Institutes of Health Research Citation number: [].
- Women's health
A funded trial using Fora Health to improve endometriosis care will launch in June 2025.
This project is being conducted in partnership with Unisanté Center for Primary Care and Public Health and the University of Lausanne (Switzerland), with funding from the Swiss National Science Foundation. Citation number: [].
- Cancer prevention
Fora Health will also be evaluated for use in cancer prevention beginning in Fall 2025, in partnership with Unisanté Center for Primary Care and Public Health and the University of Lausanne.
- Rare disease
Fora Health has been used to support care for patients with Gaucher’s Disease. Citation number: []
- Additional research
With our partners, we are also exploring configuration of Fora Health for treatment optimization for Parkinson’s disease and atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease treatment.
User research
- Elwyn G, Frosch D, Thomson R, et al. Shared Decision Making: A Model for Clinical Practice. J Gen Intern Med 2012; 27: 1361–1367.
- Carmona C, Crutwell J, Burnham M, et al. Shared decision-making: summary of NICE guidance. BMJ 2021; 373: n1430.
- Rep. Rangel CB [D-N-15]. H.R.3590 - 111th Congress (2009-2010): Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act, https://www.congress.gov/bill/111th-congress/house-bill/3590 (2010).
- Stacey D, Lewis KB, Smith M, et al. Decision aids for people facing health treatment or screening decisions. Cochrane Database Syst Rev 2024; 1: CD001431.
- Stacey D, Légaré F, Lewis K, et al. Decision aids for people facing health treatment or screening decisions. Cochrane Database Syst Rev 2017; 2017: CD001431.
- Bruch JD, Khazen M, Mahmic-Kaknjo M, et al. The effects of shared decision making on health outcomes, health care quality, cost, and consultation time: An umbrella review. Patient Educ Couns 2024; 129: 108408.
- Mobile App to Enhance Patient Activation and Patient-Provider Communication in Major Depressive Disorder Management: Collaborative, Randomized Controlled Pilot Study. JMIR Formative Research.
- Use of a digitally enabled app With clinical team interface in the management of depression. ClinicalTrials.gov Identifier NCT04891224.
- Mobile Technology-Supported Shared Decision-Making and Goal Setting for Management of Depression in Primary Care. The Annals of Family Medicine.
- Decreasing harms and improving child health: An intervention to reduce inappropriate use of antipsychotics and polypharmacy.
- SDM-BD: A patient app and EPR-integrated care team interface to digitally-enable support for shared decision making to improve maintenance management of patients with Bipolar Disorder (BD).
- Improving symptom management in endometriosis: Development and Evaluation of an AI-Driven Interactive (Chatbot) Patient Decision Aid
- Unlocking Insights: Patient Reported Outcomes (PROs) in Rare Diseases - A Case Study with the GOAL-GD App for Gaucher Patients