Ekiva-MS app’s goal: Give patients stronger voice in care decisions

Dawn Health, a Danish digital health company, has developed a smartphone app to support and empower people living with multiple sclerosis (MS) as they navigate their chronic disease care.

Launched this week in Germany, the free Ekiva-MS app is designed to help patients better track their symptoms and life quality. Insights gained can allow for more in-depth and data-driven conversations with a person’s healthcare providers, supporting shared decision-making.

“We are thrilled to see the launch of Ekiva-MS in Germany,” Daniel Daugaard, founder and CEO of Dawn Health, said in a company press release. “We are deploying a truly impactful solution to empower [people living with MS], ensuring we deliver on their unmet needs through deep co-creation and user-centricity.”

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MS symptoms, disease severity, and their impact on daily life can vary significantly from patient to patient, complicating treatment decisions. Because doctors don’t necessarily know which MS therapy will work best for a patient right away, there can substantial delays before a person receives the right treatment.

A more personalized approach can help in making care outcomes as optimal as possible, as soon as possible, the company noted.

Developed with patient input, Ekiva-MS is designed to serve as a remote, at-home and user-friendly monitoring tool, providing more information about a patient’s day-to-day experiences.

The name Ekiva was chosen as its meaning refers to protection and shelter, Dawn Health stated.

On the app, patients can track changes to their symptoms and quality of life, helping them to be more knowledgeable about how their disease is progressing and impacting daily activities.

Ekiva-MS also allows for passive data collection and the use of new digital biomarkers, in ways that the company noted are similar to those in the DreaMS app by Healios.

Together, the collected information can provide a more “holistic view of each individual’s experience,” Dawn Health stated.

Patients then can share these data-driven insights with their healthcare providers to mutually arrive at the best possible decisions in their care.

The app also offers ways to generate a personalized report that can be taken along to check-ups, and a place to write down questions and notes for the doctor. And it can give a reminder about upcoming appointments.

Patients will be able to access articles and information about MS as well as tips for dealing with symptoms directly on the app.

Ekiva-MS is the first app to emerge from a collaboration between Dawn Health and Novartis. The partnership, announced in February, aims to support the development of a remote monitoring platform for people living with chronic diseases.

Novartis markets several MS therapies, including  Kesimpta (ofatumumab), Mayzent (siponimod), and Gilenya (fingolimod).

“Our collaboration with Novartis enables us to improve the lives of patients around the world,” Daugaard said. “In an over-burdened and highly complex healthcare ecosystem, we can help empower individuals … to optimize care and improve the quality of consultations between [healthcare providers] and patients.”

In Germany, the app is available for downloading at no cost via the Apple Store and Google Play.