– Cardio-renal-metabolic conditions are the leading cause of death worldwide, accounting for up to 20 million deaths in the U.S. annually
Boehringer Ingelheim and Eli Lilly and Company (NYSE:LLY) today announced the launch of CRMSynced™, an educational initiative that uses gamification to encourage healthcare professionals (HCPs) to prioritize a holistic approach to care for cardio-renal-metabolic (C-R-M) conditions. Accounting for up to 20 million deaths in the U.S. annually, C-R-M conditions, including diabetes, heart disease and chronic kidney disease, are the leading causes of death worldwide.
“Recent innovations in treatments and guidelines for those with C-R-M conditions have put a new level of responsibility on all members of the patient care team, including primary care physicians, specialists and advanced practice providers,” said Dr. Eugene E. Wright Jr., M.D., consulting associate in the Department of Medicine, Duke University School of Medicine. “We all need to think about a holistic approach to treating the entire cardio, renal and metabolic system. CRMSynced is not only fun and engaging, but provides perspective on how practitioners can work together to improve C-R-M patient outcomes. I hope physicians will play and rise to the challenge.”
The cardiovascular, renal (kidney) and metabolic systems are closely interconnected and share many of the same disease-related pathways. Dysfunction in one system may accelerate the onset of dysfunction in others, resulting in the progression of linked diseases such as type 2 diabetes, heart failure and chronic kidney disease. Conversely, improving the health of one system can lead to positive effects across the others and may reduce the risk for complications. Understanding the interconnected nature, Boehringer Ingelheim and Lilly are working to advance treatments that can protect the organs of the cardio-renal-metabolic systems. Professional guidelines, including those from the American Diabetes Association, American College of Cardiology and KDIGO, recommend that HCPs take ownership of their patients’ overall C-R-M health and work closely with other members of the patients’ care teams.
“The recent improvements in C-R-M care have empowered generalists and specialists to take ownership over these connected conditions. While we recognize that the adoption of a holistic care approach may take time to implement, there is clearly an urgency to accelerate this change to help reduce the risk of complications among people living with C-R-M disease conditions,” said Mohamed Eid, M.D., M.P.H., M.H.A., vice president, Clinical Development & Medical Affairs, Cardio-Metabolism & Respiratory Medicine, Boehringer Ingelheim Pharmaceuticals, Inc. “Research has shown that game-based learning can improve retention. To reach endocrinologists, cardiologists, nephrologists, primary care physicians and advanced practice providers with this important message, we built CRMSynced, a C-R-M focused puzzle game where players have their knowledge tested to complete tasks in an engaging and challenging way.”
CRMSynced’s construction-themed gameplay encourages the player to collaborate with other HCP characters within the game to build “Sync Tower.” Players can choose to engage as a cardiologist, endocrinologist, nephrologist, or primary care provider. As they accomplish each level, their knowledge of other specialties is tested, resulting in increased awareness of overall C-R-M healthcare and the need to care for these interrelated systems as a whole. Through CRMSynced, HCPs can increase their understanding of holistic care to leverage a comprehensive approach with their patients, which may improve health outcomes.
“Continued innovation is central to the work we do with Boehringer Ingelheim in the cardio-renal-metabolic space,” said Matt Caffrey, senior director of U.S. Diabetes/CV Marketing, Lilly Diabetes. “Beyond treatments, we look for novel ways to raise awareness about critical issues to improve care for patients with these life-threatening conditions. CRMSynced is our most recent program aimed at engaging physicians to help transform patient outcomes.”
