A groundbreaking new project “GroW” aims to empower women living in social deprivation with chronic health conditions by providing a personalised and adaptive digital health tool for long-term health management.
Spearheaded by DDM Health in collaboration with Warwick Medical School, University of Warwick and Walsall Housing Group (whg), GroW has been selected for funding through the SBRI Healthcare Women’s Health competition.
Launched on International Women’s Day, GroW, which stands for “Gro Women” will address the unique needs of women living with chronic conditions such as type 2 diabetes, cardiovascular disease, obesity and mental health issues.
Using the well-established NICE-accredited Gro Health digital platform, GroW will provide women with adaptive care plans that evolve with their changing health needs, life stages and cultural backgrounds, ensuring accessibility for those facing the greatest health disparities.
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The Gro Health app is NICE HTE14-accredited, NHS DTAC-certified and supported by eight peer-reviewed research studies demonstrating its benefits for individuals managing long-term health conditions, including obesity, type 2 diabetes, heart disease and associated mental health issues such as stress, anxiety and depression.
Charlotte Summers, Founding Chief Operations Officer at DDM Health and Honorary Clinical Scholar at University of Warwick, said: “This is a landmark project. By focusing on the specific needs of women managing long-term health conditions, GroW ensures that the solutions we create embed lived and loved experience. We are ensuring that these solutions reach those who need them most, helping to break down the barriers to care and empower women to take control of their health across the lifecourse.”
GroW’s focus on empowering underserved women aligns with the NHS’s Core20PLUS5 approach, which targets health inequalities in the most deprived areas.
Through whg’s network of Community Champions, the project will engage women living in social housing, ensuring that the solution is both accessible and relevant to the needs of diverse populations.
This unique collaboration leverages DDM Health’s expertise in digital health technology, whg’s community engagement experience and the research capabilities of the University of Warwick.
Dr. Petra Hanson, Clinical Academic at University of Warwick and University Hospitals of Coventry and Warwickshire, commented: “The opportunity to co-develop this tool with women most at risk of long-term health conditions will ensure that GroW addresses real-world challenges in chronic disease management. This project will not only improve health outcomes but also reduce reliance on traditional healthcare services, making it a scalable solution for women nationwide.”
GroW’s development will include a robust co-production strategy, working closely with women from whg to gather their input through workshops, surveys and focus groups.
Feedback will directly inform the adaptation of the Gro Health platform ensuring that it meets the diverse needs of women from different socio-economic backgrounds.
Connie Jennings, Director of Stronger Communities at whg, commented: “This collaboration will ensure women can influence the design of the services they receive. Far too often women are offered services that don’t consider their lived experiences, and this gap in understanding widens when we review the health outcomes of disadvantaged women. Through this partnership, we look forward to talking to the women who live in our homes, connecting them with the design process and enabling them to shape services that truly reflect their needs and experiences.”
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Judith Stewart, Director of Economic, Commercial and Business Development at Health Innovation West Midlands, added: “This groundbreaking effort not only highlights the power of co-production with women who bring vital lived experience of chronic disease but also underscores the potential of adaptive digital tools to improve health outcomes. GroW’s focus on empowering women aligns perfectly with our commitment to reducing disparities and fostering inclusive healthcare innovation across the region.”
The project’s commitment to reducing its environmental footprint is also a key feature, as GroW integrates energy-efficient technology and adheres to a net-zero strategy, aligning with NHS goals to reduce carbon emissions.
The goal is to roll out the solution to NHS and local authority partners, providing a scalable tool to address the chronic health challenges faced by women, particularly those in disadvantaged communities.
This work was commissioned and funded by SBRI Healthcare. SBRI Healthcare is an Accelerated Access Collaborative (AAC) initiative in partnership with the Health Innovation Network.
