Glenmark Pharmaceuticals has developed a digital patient education tool, 'Hello Skin' in collaboration with the IADVL (Indian Association of Dermatologists, Venereologists and Leprologists), to help patients suffering from Dermatophytosis (Ring Worm or Tinea) in India, to adhere to the recommended treatment duration.

'Hello Skin' is the first Whatsapp based chatbot, which helps patients not only improve adherence to topical/systemic recommended therapy with daily pill reminders, but also in creating disease awareness and provides skincare tips to patients suffering from Ring Worm. This platform is patient-friendly and will be available in 6 different regional languages including Hindi and English, enabling better patient compliance to the technology.

Speaking on this initiative, Alok Malik, Group Vice President and Head, India Formulations, Glenmark Pharmaceuticals said, "Digital patient inclusion for better disease management is the way forward in healthcare. 'Hello Skin' is an initiative in this direction and will help improve disease education and patient adherence to fungal therapy. IADVL's collaboration with Glenmark for developing this innovative solution, further adds to its credibility amongst dermatologists and patients."

Supporting the novel initiative, Dr. Rashmi Sarkar, President, IADVL said, "Fostering treatment adherence is a priority objective, especially in the management of fungal infections. 'Hello Skin' will be one such digital initiative to partner patients in their treatment journey to improve clinical outcomes in patients suffering from fungal infections."

The recent prevalence of Dermatophytosis (often called Ring Worm) in India has reached up to 78.4%1. Additionally, it has become one of the most difficult infections to treat in recent times with patients reporting feelings of depression and isolation due to the social taboo associated with it.