One Drop leverages data to predict user health, behavior

NEW YORK – One Drop’s diabetes management platform is creating what the future of diabetes care looks like in the world of digital technology, says Rachel Yap-Martens. 

With more than 25 billion biometric data points to analyze, including glucose, A1C, blood pressure, weight, medications, food intake, physical activity, heart rate, sleep, gender and year of diagnosis, the health management platform can forecast biomarkers and offer real-time advice to change or reinforce behaviors, she says. 

“The data is so important for our collective population pool,” said Yap-Martens, senior vice president of commercial strategy and consumer solutions. “We understand a population broadly much better, which means for an individual who is just starting, we can find someone who looks like you and give you an idea of what your body might do.” 

Founded in 2015, One Drop has more than 1.4 million members in 195 countries. 
Yap-Martens believes the future of diabetes care is helping someone stay healthy even when they’re not with the doctor. 

“It’s having that ally or buddy there with you, providing you with continuous feedback of what’s working for you and what’s not,” said Yap-Martens. “We know it’s important for people to see results and so that data allows us to provide you with not just, ‘Hey, take a five-minute walk’ but, ‘This is how your next eight hours will change as a result of that walk.’ It’s continuously reinforcing and helping someone understand the work that they’re doing is paying off, which is really hard to do in health.” 

Going forward, One Drop is most excited about marrying behavioral science, data science and clinical science together and providing that support to its members, says Yap-Martens. 

“We can have all the data and all the predictions in the world but until someone says, ‘This was delivered to me in a way that’s actually going to compel me to take my five minute walk, or eat my seven grapes,’ there’s no benefit without (user) action, and that to me is a key part of what we need to (consider) as we continue to develop," she said.