Reversing the trends of chronic, lifestyle-related disease

Fit for purpose

Physicians, health specialists, food/ supplement manufacturers, diagnostic firms, device developers, pharmaceutical companies and pharmacies want to provide the most effective and targeted advice and support for people at risk of, or suffering from, chronic disease. But it can be difficult to identify the solutions that work best. From unsubstantiated or incorrect information to lack of access to specialists to limited perspectives, these health professionals and stakeholders often lack the 360° view they need to provide well-informed advice or solutions.

TNO’s Health Application team knows that increasing the health span is not just about biomedical data. Treatment of chronic (pre)disease must be as unique and personal as the individuals themselves. Supporting a patient eager to lose weight, control diabetes or heart disease, engage with a treatment or increase activity requires personalised (blended) interventions and proven solutions that are built to last.

Collectively, these interventions and solutions centre around ‘behavioural change’. Enabling effective behavioural change requires:

• deep and proven insight into the biological causes of a metabolic derailment,
• targeted intervention(s) (including technologies) to address these biological causes,
• consideration for each individual’s sociological, cultural, psychological, economic and personality factors,
• awareness of each individual’s personal goals and willingness to accept health-related coaching/messaging,
• knowledge of the lifestyle and behavioural patterns and habits that will impact each individual’s health journey.

Building blocks of health

As an independent organisation with a long history of research on this complex topic, TNO is in a unique position to bring together expertise, insights, technology and networks that can address chronic (pre)disease from as many different dimensions as possible. We enable health professionals and stakeholders to provide evidence-based, personalised and engaging health advice that people are able – and willing – to follow. This not only will help to reverse the trend of earlier onset of chronic disease, but will also improve patients’ quality of life and ensure higher rates of success for the products, services, apps and devices that will help patients along the way.

TNO has a wide variety of building blocks to construct solutions for a range of chronic (pre)diseases and treatments. Starting from a core of evidence-based knowledge, TNO also applies knowledge and expertise from social science, behavioural science, data science, artificial intelligence and technology.

We create an ecosystem of the right experts – from diagnosticians to nutritionists to IT professionals – and formulate solutions with a holistic view on patient well-being and compliance. This ensures that when people are advised on how to manage their chronic illness, it is as tailored to their specific needs, biology, personality and circumstances as possible. Whether in the form of an advisory dashboard for blended care, a targeted app, food or supplement production, lifestyle advice, medicine, a health program at work or a host of other applications, health professionals and stakeholders can be assured of evidence-based and effective support.

Advice that sticks

Often, one of the greatest challenges of any behavioural change is long-term adherence. Even people with the best intentions and motivation find it difficult to maintain healthy habits, or to make those lifestyle changes an integral part of their lives. Our extensive research allows for the (digital) integration of the latest behaviour change strategies into health applications in order to stimulate long-term adherence to the personal lifestyle advice, programme or service.

Our personalised Health Advice System is a continuously updated database of all the knowledge, models, algorithms and health messages we have collected over the years. With the use of smart algorithms, artificial intelligence and in consultation with health professionals, we tap into that system to design the most effective tools possible. From wearables, clinical measurements, do-it-yourself measurements and personality mapping to just-in-time adaptive interventions, and from dietary protocols and ingredient optimisation to advice for timing of food and medicine. For any aspect of the health improvement journey, our knowledge, methodology and technology are the foundation of personalised, targeted advice for prevention, cure and care.

Do you want to contribute to the reduction of chronic disease through evidence-based health applications? Ready to create more successful products and services and more compliance to behavioural change or your health application? Contact us today to find out how to put our science to work for you.