By Clinical Research News Staff

July 8, 2019 | UnitedHealth Group has acquired online patient community portal PatientsLikeMe as of June 19. As part of the acquisition, the startup will now become part of UnitedHealth Group’s research arm that focuses on healthcare improvements and innovation.

In an email sent to members of the PatientsLikeMe's DigitalMe study, the company said that there would be no changes to the PatientLikeMe name or membership, but indicated that there will be more connections with UnitedHealth Group. As in the original privacy policy, the company shares data with two types of third parties: researchers, like UnitedHealth Group’s R&D division, and the vendors whose services contribute to website operation.

"This independent unit of UnitedHealth Group invests in research that speeds improvements to drive innovation in healthcare," Jamie Heywood, CEO of PatientsLikeMe, wrote in a message to members on behalf of the PatientsLikeMe team. "We've chosen to join with UnitedHealth Group Research & Development because they share that same drive to improve health at the individual level and to ensure that healthcare outcomes across the board are more effective."

Above all, Heywood stressed that members' identifiable personal data will not be shared with any research partners, nor will private messages between members. There will also be no changes to who can read posts in PatientsLikeMe's social platform.

PatientsLikeMe's online platform offers those with a chronic condition the opportunity to track and share symptoms and treatment experiences, contribute data for research and connect with others who are going through similar situations. A paper published in the Journal of Medical Internet Research last year detailed a data-driven research partnership with the FDA.

This announcement comes after stories circulated in April that PatientsLikeMe was seeking a new buyer due to concerns of foreign investment and influence.