Sidekick: Digital Ulcerative Colitis Support That Goes Beyond the Gut

Sidekick’s 16-week program offers you daily support for mind and body to improve how you live with Ulcerative Colitis.

Our aim is that by the end of the program, you will feel more confident in yourself, as well as more knowledgeable about Ulcerative Colitis and feel empowered to take control of your health.

Available as a free cell phone app, Sidekick will help you understand your Ulcerative Colitis flares and triggers, improve your sleep, make more confident food choices, and reduce your Ulcerative Colitis-related stress.

The program focuses on behavioral change and contains practical information and features to help you build helpful habits.

Download the Sidekick app today and get started.

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Program details

With Sidekick in your pocket, you can

Reach your health goals with ease: Each day, Sidekick sets you up with fun missions that help you improve your mental and physical health step by step.

Build your self-confidence: Improve your mental well-being with tools based on Cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT).

Choose your food confidently: Take the guesswork out of mealtimes with food tracking and feedback on logged meals from your health coach.

Rest well and stress less: Your mind and gut are closely connected. Sidekick gives you tools to handle stress and sleep better.

Track and learn about your Ulcerative Colitis symptoms: The Sidekick program enables you to track and spot patterns in your symptoms and consider what may have caused them.

Feel connected thanks to your dedicated health coach: Your own health coach is there to offer support and guidance on your health goals.

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Based on behavioral science, built for you.

Here are some of the key features of the Sidekick Ulcerative Colitis program:

Symptom tracker: Log your symptoms to get an overall picture of your health. Spot patterns and discover how to manage flare-ups and triggers.

Medication reminders: Sidekick will remind you when to take your medication and help you stick to your treatment plan.

Motivating and engaging daily missions: Daily missions are designed to help keep you motivated and moving through the program.

Direct communication and feedback from a health coach: Use the in-app chat function to communicate with a Sidekick health coach.

Mental well-being tools: Because the impact of Ulcerative Colitis is not just physical, be guided on how to mindfully manage your condition.

An educational library covering physical activity, sleep, and nutrition: Access knowledge to help you gain control over your symptoms and make more confident choices.

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About our program

Sidekick’s Ulcerative Colitis program was created by healthcare providers, psychologists, scientists, and people living with IBD.

The program was designed to help you improve the way you live with Ulcerative Colitis by building lasting healthy habits and improving your overall well-being.

You do not need to face Ulcerative Colitis alone. Get started today and discover what Sidekick can do for you.

Doing good by doing well

Taking control of your health with Sidekick could make a huge difference to your overall quality of life. But, what about the lives of others? With Sidekick, you have the chance to do good by doing well. With every mission you complete in the app, you collect water drops. These water drops are then donated to our non-profit partner organisation, charity: water. All water drops collected help us fund water projects and provide safe and clean water to communities in Cambodia.

Experiences with Sidekick

What others say about Sidekick

It is really easy to use and because it can be tailored to the user, the whole experience is very personal. Because of the regular tips and nudges it becomes much easier for you to pay attention to your lifestyle and to avoid behaviors that can make your condition worse.

Jaana, IBD patient

I liked the educational videos very much, they support and inform every step of the way. I really felt understood!

Evelyn, IBD patient

IBD are complex diseases and there is currently no cure. However, modern drugs are able to dramatically improve symptoms, decrease complications and change disease outcomes. Beyond that, the patients may play a key role in further improving their quality of life. Particularly, by acting on three pillars which are stress, physical activity and alimentation, they can further improve the control of the disease and decrease their medication need. The sidekick health IBD program may help them to become actor in their own disease management.

Dr. Edouard Louis, MD, PhD

Having worked closely with IBD patients, I am seeing that the Sidekick program is an important player in the field to contribute to the quality of care and life of IBD patients. There is a constant unmet need that a few appointments per year cannot fulfill. Having a tool like the Sidekick Ulcerative Colitis program to offer for patients is crucial, especially when looking at the current crisis we have around the world. This program can work as a preventive and supportive tool.

Anna Karoliina Ylänne, Registered Nurse

Start your journey today

4 easy steps to take control of your health

2 easy steps to take control of your health

1. Click on “Get started”

A new tab will open up

1. Tap on “Get started”

You will be redirected to the app store. There, you can download Sidekick's Ulcerative Colitis program.

2. Type in your phone number

Tap "send a message" to receive an SMS with the access link to the Ulcerative Colitis program.

3. Click on the SMS link

You will be redirected to the app store to download the Ulcerative Colitis program within the Sidekick app. Make sure to use this link to access the program.

4. Set up your account and let’s get started!

In a few simple clicks, create your account and start your personalized Sidekick journey.

2. Set up your account and let’s get started!

In a few simple clicks, create your account and start your personalized Sidekick journey

Get started

How we protect your data:

Sidekick is GDPR compliant, and is committed to protecting the data of every user. Sidekick securely stores your health data and will not share personally identifiable data with third parties unless you as a user have provided explicit informed consent.

Learn more

Frequently Asked Questions

How long is the program for Ulcerative Colitis?

The program takes 16 weeks to complete. After completing the program, you have the option to continue to use Sidekick's tracking and reminder features and explore the content and videos.

Can I restart the program?

No, there is currently no feature in the app that allows users to restart a Sidekick program. To force a restart of the program, quit the program by tapping the icon in the top right corner, then tapping your "program", then tapping on the three dots in the top right of the screen, and then tapping “Quit Program”. To restart the process, you will need to use the same access code provided to you or request a new code. This action cannot be reversed, and Sidekick will not be able to recover any deleted data after completing the process.

What is the time commitment for the Sidekick Ulcerative Colitis program?

To maximize health benefits, we recommend integrating the Sidekick program into your daily routine. Total commitment time will, therefore, vary between individuals, but we recommend planning for 5-10 minutes per day.

How is the program structured?

Each week, the program will present you with a new focus area. These focus areas cover topics relevant to overall health and Ulcerative Colitis management. The Ulcerative Colitis program focuses on the following 6 areas:

How to manage your UC condition
Sleeping better
Mental well-being
Eating healthily
Exercising smarter
Tracking your symptoms in the Health journal

Each weekly topic is supported by an interactive lesson, daily missions, and additional program features to help support you on your health journey.

Who built the program?

Each of our programs has a dedicated team at Sidekick that builds it, including clinicians, physicians, behavioral psychologists, and medical researchers from around the world. The programs are all built to help you manage your chronic health conditions and improve your quality of life.

How do I know the program works?

Our programs are based on the latest evidence and clinical guidelines as well as the clinical experience of the team involved in building the program and the experts that review it. We also have an entire team dedicated to researching and improving our treatment programs. For example, a study showed that people reported 23% less stress after completing Sidekick’s 16-week IBD program than at the beginning of the program. Source: Oddsson, S., et al. ""P376 Improving stress and fatigue in a real-world setting among patients with Inflammatory Bowel Disease through a digital platform"" 16th Congress of ECCO, 2021. https://www.ecco-ibd.eu/publications/congress-abstracts/item/p376-improving-stress-and-fatigue-in-a-real-world-setting-among-patients-with-inflammatory-bowel-disease-through-a-digital-platform.html

Who is the Sidekick health coach?

Throughout the program, you will be supported by a health coach through the in-app chat function. The health coach offers guidance and support in relation to Ulcerative Colitis. All Sidekick health coaches are background checked and are required to complete Sidekick’s training course. The dedicated and knowledgeable contact person for Sidekick's Ulcerative Colitis program is Kathrine Kofoed. With her master’s degree in nutrition and a wealth of experience as a health coach, Kathrine is uniquely qualified to support you on your journey to better health. With a deep understanding of the science behind nutrition and the art of coaching, Kathrine is here to support you in improving your lifestyle. She offers regular feedback on progress and is readily available to answer any questions, making your path to a healthier life smoother.

Is the program really free of charge?

Yes, the Sidekick app is sponsored by our partners and is always free for our users. We'll never ask you to pay to download or use the app.

Does the program work on iPhone or Android?

The Sidekick app is available to download on both iOS and Android smartphone devices.

Is there a web version of the program available?

As the program is specifically designed to be with you wherever you go, there is currently no option to access the program on a desktop device.

I have an idea for an improvement and want to give my feedback, where should I reach out?

We always welcome feedback and suggestions from our users. You can send us an email at [email protected]

Something is not working. How can I get technical support?

1. Go to Settings in the upper right corner of the app screen 2 Select Technical Support 3. Select Request Support 4. Enter the description of your question and upload screenshots (if applicable) You can also send an email to: [email protected].

What health data does Sidekick process, and how?

Sidekick processes personal user data in accordance with HIPAA (Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act). User data is never shared with a third party or sold. For further details, we recommend familiarizing yourself with Sidekick’s Privacy Policy. All data is encrypted and stored on a server in the European Union (EU/EAA) and not shared elsewhere. Data is securely stored and never shared with third parties, including partners. Sidekick encrypts all personally identifiable data from end to end, in transit, and at rest with AES 256-bit encryption and HTTPS. Furthermore, Sidekick limits the data that can be entered into the app. Sidekick will delete personally identifiable data after six years of inactivity. Users can at any time delete their accounts, and by doing so, they delete all of their personally identifiable information. Access to data is limited to Sidekick employees who need access based on a strict assessment of their job function, unless you as a user have provided explicit informed consent.

What is the health data that is processed used for?

Sidekick needs basic information to manage users, i.e., name, email address, password, etc. Sidekick also receives all the data you enter into the application. After the program registration process is complete, personal data processing enables you to log relevant information within the app, supporting and tracking your health journey in the best possible way. Learn more about our privacy policy.

What does Sidekick do to protect my data?

Sidekick encrypts all personally identifiable data from end to end, in transit, and at rest with AES 256-bit encryption. Sidekick also limits the data entered into the app and will delete personally identifiable data after two years of inactivity. Access to data is limited to those Sidekick employees who need access based on a strict assessment of their job function. Learn more about our privacy policy.

Does Sidekick track my location?

Sidekick does not actively track user location unless the user explicitly grants the app permission to track an activity or exercise log. Sidekick passively receives IP addresses from users' devices, which by design provides a location down to the city or state. Learn more in our privacy policy.

Does Sidekick ever share or sell my personal data to a third party?

No, Sidekick does not and will not share or sell personally identifiable data to a third party without explicit consent from the user. Learn more in our privacy policy.

Does the Sidekick app include ads?

No, Sidekick does not run any ads in its app or programs. Learn more in our privacy policy.

Does the app connect to my device’s health app? What data is shared from my device to the Sidekick app?

Yes, Sidekick can connect to your device's native health app, including Google Fit and Apple Health, if you choose. The data you can choose to share with Sidekick includes your step count. Learn more in our privacy policy.

I do not accept your terms and conditions or agree to your privacy notice and wish to use only some of the services. Is this possible?

No. In order to use Sidekick's program services, you need to agree to the privacy policy and terms and conditions.

How can I review, download, or access my data?

There is currently no way to download your data from within the app. To request access to your data, please email [email protected] with the subject line "Data Access Request." If you do not want your data stored in Sidekick's cloud servers after you've completed a program, you have the option to delete your account.

How can I delete all my data from your database and close my account?

In the app, go to Settings and then navigate to the "Other" section, where you will find a button that allows you to delete all personally identifiable data from the app. This action cannot be reversed, and Sidekick will not be able to recover any deleted data after completing the process.

What information can a Sidekick representative see about me when I request support through the Help function in the app or by email?

When sending a support request, Sidekick's customer success representatives can see your name and email address, your device information, and the content of your message. Details of which program you are in will not be made visible.

Who should I contact if I have questions about Sidekick and data protection?

You may contact Sidekick's DPO (Data Protection Officer) by sending an email to [email protected].

What languages is the program available in?

For the USA, the program is currently available in English.

Do I need to have a US phone number to get the program?

No, you do not need a US phone number to receive an access code to download the program; any mobile number that can receive SMS works.

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