San Francisco-based Omada Health has launched a new version of its Prevent program with additional features designed for underserved populations, which include people who are Medicaid enrolled, Medicaid eligible but uninsured, as well as clinical trials for the product.

The Prevent program runs 16 weeks and aims to help those that are at-risk for Type 2 diabetes make positive health behavior changes. The program was based on a 2002 NIH Diabetes Prevention Program (DPP) intervention that produced significant results for people with prediabetes. Users are paired with a health coach who monitors their progress throughout the program. Each week, users take an interactive health lesson that covers a range of topics including exercise and nutrition on a mobile device or computer. As part of the program, users receive a wireless-enabled scale and pedometer so that they can track their progress digitally.

In the version of Prevent designed for underserved populations, Omada has made the program sensitive to food access when suggesting recipes. This flavor of the program also offers bilingual coaches and has an altered curriculum so it is accessible for people with low-level literacy as well as people who speak english as a second language. 

In addition to this rollout, the company announced a clinical trial that will be conducted at three sites: The Wellness Center at LAC+USC Medical Center in Los Angeles, Northeast Valley Health Corporation (NEVHC) in San Fernando, and a Providence Health & Services clinic in Monroe, Washington. The funding for these trials came from the California Health Care Foundation (CHCF) and The Kresge Foundation.

At least some of this funding came in September 2014 when Omada Health received $950,000 from these two foundations to conduct pilots using Prevent with underserved populations. CHCF contributed $450,000 through its CHCF Health Innovation Fund and Kresge Foundation contributed $500,000 through its Social Investment Practice.

“Type 2 diabetes disproportionately affects low income Americans and racial and ethnic minorities,” Omada Health CEO Sean Duffy said at the time. “…We’re excited to leverage the investment and the expertise of our new partners to help test and increase uptake of Prevent in these populations. Through strategic relationships like these, we can more rapidly accomplish Omada Health’s mission of bringing the world’s most effective behavior change therapies to every patient that can benefit from them.”

Last year, in September, Omada Health raised $48 million, bringing the company’s total funding to at least $77.5 million to date. One of its strategic investors from that round is Providence Health & Services, which is where Omaha will run one of its clinical trials.

At the time, Duffy told MobiHealthNews that the company is also developing screenings for patients in the program to check if they are at risk for other conditions like heart disease and hypertension, in addition to screening patients who are strictly at risk for diabetes and prediabetes.