As it aims to broaden its predictive analytics and personalized health capabilities, Welltok, developer of the CaféWell health optimization platform, has acquired Burlington, Mass.-based Predilytics.
[See also: Watson kicks it up a notch for Welltok]
"For too long, healthcare analytics has been focused on what the patient is doing, rather than the consumer," said Welltok CEO Jeff Margolis in a press statement. "The data is largely clinical, retroactive and inadequate to understand the needs of consumers."
This acquisition, Welltok officials say, will bring better analytic capabilities to CaféWell Health Optimization Platform, enabling more targeted guidance for consumers.
Predilytics uses machine learning technology to segment consumers based on risk and receptivity – offering payers, at-risk providers and population health managers a more accurate view of those most likely to be impacted by health interventions.
"This is why Predilytics is so incredibly important – it strives to understand consumers and gain unparalleled insights on behavior and preferences before they engage with the healthcare system," said Margolis.
The aim, he says, is for Welltok to build an analytics-driven consumer enterprise platform that can identify the right consumers to target and engage them with relevant health improvement tools and incentives.
Predilytics has curated and analyzed data for 250 million consumers, based 1,600 variables from consumer, healthcare and proprietary data resources, officials say. The goal is to drives health improvement across populations by better knowing who needs help, who wants it and how they can be helped.
"Predilytics has advanced health analytics by understanding consumer intent and interest," said Predilytics CEO Chris Coloian, in a statement. "And, now with CaféWell, we can close that loop to activate consumers. Also, since the platform obtains immediate feedback on engagement, we can use that data to further personalize the experience and guide the consumer."
This past year, Welltok got some substantial investment from IBM's Watson Group, as Big Blue helped Welltok with its CaféWell Concierge app, enabling it to leverage Watson's cognitive computing capabilities to better understand the complexities of human language and read millions of pages of data in seconds.
"By combining Predilytics insights with our existing capabilities and partnerships, including leveraging IBM Watson's cognitive computing technology, we can now help entire populations become happier and healthier at a lower cost," said Margolis.
