AI-enabled text-first virtual healthcare clinic Curai Health is partnering with UMass Chan Medical School to study how at-home antigen and molecular tests compare with lab PCR tests in detecting the current variants of COVID-19 and influenza.

Curai Health offers a primary care team and AI-powered software that embeds into a provider's care delivery services. 

Its offerings include personalized primary care providers and urgent care services, referral management and network navigation, care programs and condition management services, clinical workflow integration, prescription and lab ordering and white-label care services. 

The NIH-funded study, dubbed UMass Self-Testing for Our Protection from COVID-19 (STOP COVID-19), will allow adult participants who test positive for COVID-19 or the flu virus to access free virtual care through Curai's platform. 

The up-to-16-week study aims to compare home-based tests to PCR tests in detecting COVID after the onset of symptoms. The participants can also get care for influenza, COVID-19 or other medical needs. 

Participants will use an app called MyDataHelps to log their symptoms in a virtual diary, complete questionnaires and provide information about their experience. Researchers will also use wearable data sensors to track participants' symptoms. 

"Curai's ability to provide virtual care at scale, unlocked by clinical AI, allows us to serve in environments where cost efficiency is more crucial than ever," Neal Khosla, CEO and cofounder of Curai Health, told MobiHealthNews. 

"Especially with this winter's intense surge in illnesses, we're seeing significant demand for convenient primary care to support patients' recovery at home."

THE LARGER TREND

Last year, Curai announced a partnership with the healthcare system Tufts Medicine, which would integrate Curai's offerings into its patient portal app, MyTuftsMed.

The app allows patients to message their doctor, make appointments, view test results, manage their prescriptions and more. It also allows patients to receive virtual care through the app or chat with a licensed clinician 24/7. 

Curai also partnered with Rightway, a healthcare navigation and pharmacy benefits platform, to provide Rightway's members access to Curai's virtual care offerings.

In 2023, the company joined Amazon Clinic's virtual healthcare marketplace to provide message-based care for individuals seeking care for UTIs, birth control, COVID-19 and other conditions. 

Amazon announced last year that it was repositioning its healthcare offerings, rebranding and integrating Amazon Clinic into its hybrid primary care platform One Medical. The integration will offer pay-per-visit telehealth services across the U.S. 

In 2020, Curai Health garnered $27.5 million in Series B funding.