📱 Product Snapshot: Young Onset Parkinson’s Exchange (YOP-X) 🧒

In one sentence, describe your product?

Australian-first digital platform for those living with Young Onset Parkinson's Disease (YOPD), their primary support people (carers), healthcare professionals and NDIS-contracted providers.

What industry challenge is YOP-X tackling?

Evidence from people living with YOPD suggests a lack of information, education and understanding of the disease, symptoms and its progression, as well as a lack of supports enabling social, community and economic participation.

Support is often inaccessible to those living with YOPD who juggle competing demands, such as employment, family and school commitments, sporting, social events and activities, or for those residing outside of metropolitan and major regional centres.

What makes YOP-X unique in the market?

Developed as a "living lab" model, the website, app and its various tools and features have been uniquely shaped by the first-hand experiences, ideas, knowledge and daily needs of people living with Young Onset Parkinson’s Disease (YOPD) and the latest research from around the world.

The app features an Australian-first tool - the National Disability Insurance Scheme (NDIS) Wallet, providing an efficient way to consolidate everything the NDIS needs to know about someone living with YOPD, to consider an NDIS application.

What is the biggest risk to the company?

Currently there is a poor understanding of Parkinson’s Disease and other neurological degenerative conditions by health professionals, National Disability Insurance Agency (NDIA) and NDIS staff.

Despite the similarity of YOPD symptoms to those of late onset Parkinson’s Disease, diagnosis is often delayed due to the misconception that the disease only affects the elderly. Research suggests the diagnosis of YOPD may take up to 15 months longer than in those diagnosed with late-onset Parkinson’s Disease.

The YOP-X app project has been federally funded by an Information, Linkages and Capacity Building grant from the Department of Social Services. A lot of time, money and research has been invested into development of the app so the greatest risk is that the app isn't downloaded by Parkinson's patients.

What does success look like for YOP-X?

Success of the YOP-X platform will see YOPD patients taking greater control of their lives, while also promoting positive behavioural change.

The app offers self-assessment capabilities and issues prompts and reminders to help YOPD patients establish routine in their daily lives, and to push past apathy.

Why should a customer use YOP-X?

The combination of support provided by the YOP-X app and medical care offers YOPD patients a holistic approach to addressing changes involving their work, relationships, sleep, physical ability and mental health.

Information contained in the app is both relevant to, and can be used by anyone living with Parkinson’s disease (irrespective of their age), as well as those living with other neurological or movement disorders.

YOP-X also equips healthcare professionals and NDIS-contracted providers with the knowledge they require to better meet, and optimally fulfil, the needs of their clients living with neurological degenerative conditions.

How can we find out more?

https://youngonsetparkinsons.org.au/

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