The American Kidney Fund and PicnicHealth Partner to Empower IgA Nephropathy Patients and Further IgA Nephropathy Research

ROCKVILLE, Md. (Sept. 10, 2024) -- The American Kidney Fund (AKF) today announces its partnership with PicnicHealth, a company dedicated to simplifying health care, on a collaborative project focused on IgA nephropathy (IgAN) patients that will increase awareness about the power of real-world data research and medical record access.

PicnicHealth's patient application provides patients unprecedented access to and control over their medical records along with tools to simplify their care journey. Combining state-of-the-art artificial intelligence with human curation, PicnicHealth compiles patients' medical records from everywhere they have received care and provides patients with a unified view of their health in one easy-to-use online application. Patients also have access to PicnicHealth's virtual care providers who leverage the patient's health history to develop personalized care plans including key preventive care opportunities. PicnicHealth is committed to protecting patient privacy and never shares patient data without explicit consent.

"For patients with chronic illnesses like kidney disease, especially ones that have an unknown or rare cause (like IgAN), it can be challenging to keep track of all their health information and to ensure that all members of their health care team have the most up-to-date information," said LaVarne A. Burton, AKF President and CEO. "This can contribute to less comprehensive care or delayed diagnosis or treatment. We are excited to partner with PicnicHealth to provide IgAN patients this valuable resource to help them advocate for themselves and receive the best care possible."

IgAN patients who use the PicnicHealth patient application also have a unique opportunity to contribute their de-identified medical records to research conducted on the PicnicHealth platform to advance the understanding of diseases and new treatments in the real world. Patient information always remains anonymous, and protecting patient privacy is a core aspect of AKF's partnership with PicnicHealth.

"Every person's medical history is unique, but collectively, our medical data becomes more powerful than the sum of its parts," said Dan Drozd, MD, Chief Medical Officer at PicnicHealth. "We are honored to work with the American Kidney Fund to spread awareness of the opportunities provided by our platform, and hopefully facilitate medical breakthroughs that will improve care for people living with IgAN."

Over the last six years, AKF has significantly expanded resources for people with rare kidney diseases, including IgAN, and has worked to raise the profile of rare kidney disease on Capitol Hill and through state legislative advocacy efforts. AKF has also led efforts to bring together stakeholders on this issue through its Unknown Causes of Kidney Disease Project, and, most recently, with the creation of the Rare Kidney Disease Action Network (RKDAN). 

RKDAN is a new effort that will play a vital role in ensuring that the voices of people fighting rare kidney diseases are heard and amplified. In this first year, the RKDAN will focus heavily on issues faced by people living with IgAN. As part of this collaboration, PicnicHealth will help spread awareness of how its constituents can join RKDAN and gain the tools to advocate for themselves and the IgAN community, as well as help inform the creation of new educational resources for IgAN patients. 

About the American Kidney Fund

The American Kidney Fund (AKF) fights kidney disease on all fronts as the nonprofit with the greatest direct impact on people with kidney disease. AKF works on behalf of 1 in 7 Americans living with kidney disease, and the millions more at risk, with an unmatched scope of programs that support people wherever they are in their fight against kidney disease — from prevention through transplant. AKF fights for kidney health for all through programs that address early detection, disease management, financial assistance, clinical research, innovation and advocacy. AKF is one of the nation's top-rated nonprofits, investing 97 cents of every donated dollar in programs, and holds the highest 4-Star rating from Charity Navigator for 21 consecutive years and the Platinum Seal of Transparency from Candid, formerly known as GuideStar.

For more information, please visit KidneyFund.org, or connect with us on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram and LinkedIn.

About PicnicHealth

PicnicHealth is a leading health technology company dedicated to simplifying healthcare for everyone. To date, the company's direct-to-patient approach and innovative AI and technology platform have enabled 12 of the top 20 largest life sciences companies to run more efficient observational research while helping tens of thousands of U.S. patients get better care. PicnicHealth was recently named one of the World's Best Digital Health Companies by Newsweek and the "Best MedTech Startup" by MedTech Breakthrough. The future is here with PicnicHealth. To learn more, visit www.picnichealth.com.