Rocket Doctor AI Secures $2M NIH Grant to Develop AI-Powered Family Medical History Tool for Health Equity
Key Insights
Rocket Doctor AI's subsidiary Treatment.com Inc. (search) received a $2 million NIH SBIR Phase II grant to advance culturally sensitive family medical history collection using artificial intelligence.
The two-year project specifically targets improving early diagnosis and preventive care for African Americans, who face higher mortality from heart disease, stroke, cancer, and diabetes.
The award provides over $500,000 to enhance Treatment's Global Library of Medicine (search) platform and integrate advanced AI for more equitable healthcare delivery.
Rocket Doctor AI Inc. (search)'s U.S.-based subsidiary Treatment.com Inc. (search), in collaboration with Rush River Research, has secured a highly competitive $2 million NIH Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) Phase II grant from the National Institute on Minority Health and Health Disparities (search). The two-year award will advance the development of an AI-powered, culturally sensitive family medical history tool designed to improve early diagnosis and preventive care across all populations.
The Phase II grant follows a rigorous peer-review process at the NIH that evaluates both scientific merit and real-world potential. This funding supports the further development and commercialization of research advances achieved during Phase I, with Treatment receiving over $500,000 to enhance its proprietary Global Library of Medicine (search) (GLM) and integrate innovative AI approaches across multiple commercial platforms.
Addressing Health Disparities Through Cultural Sensitivity
The project specifically focuses on collecting and applying family health history to improve diagnosis and treatment of diseases, particularly among African Americans who experience higher mortality rates from heart disease, stroke, cancer, diabetes, and other conditions strongly influenced by family history. By incorporating cultural perspectives, rigorous usability and literacy testing, and community input, the initiative aims to support more effective use of family health history in preventive care, early diagnosis, targeted screening, and lifestyle modifications.
"Our goal is to help families have informed conversations about their family health history and better understand the important role it plays in their overall wellbeing," said Julie Lundstrom, Co-founder of Rush River Research. "This project shows how thoughtful design, cultural awareness, community insight, and collaboration can combine with AI innovation to create medical technologies that are more effective and accessible for everyone."
Bridging AI Technology Gaps
Dr. Kevin Peterson, Founder and Chief Medical Officer of Treatment.com, emphasized the importance of addressing limitations in conventional AI models. "Conventional AI models can overlook the realities of historical, genetic, and cultural differences. This important work helps bridge that gap, advancing our understanding of how health is shaped by the relationships, families, and communities where people live," Peterson stated.
The collaboration leverages Rush River Research's expertise in engineering, software development, and medical technology project management, combined with Treatment's AI-driven healthcare solutions. While the project initially focuses on African-American communities, the approaches and insights gained will be applied to improve family health history value for all families.
Technology Platform and Impact
Treatment's Global Library of Medicine (search) serves as a clinically validated decision support system developed with input from hundreds of physicians worldwide. The company's AI-powered digital health platform has already empowered over 300 MDs and specialists to provide care to more than 700,000 patient visits, enabling doctors to launch and manage virtual or hybrid practices while improving efficiency and expanding patient access to care.
The enhanced GLM platform aims to create AI systems that are more modern, accurate, and human-centered by combining the complementary expertise of both organizations. Both Treatment and Rush River Research share a commitment to improving universal access to care and ensuring healthcare providers have effective digital tools to support patients and improve clinical outcomes.