Testimonial: when Open Data facilitates the work of dieticians and motivates patients!
Today we meet the founders of Alivio, an all-in-one application dedicated to dieticians and their patients, which has succeeded in revolutionizing dietary management by leveraging the Open Food Facts database.
In this article, we explore their project and how they are using Open Food Facts to help dietitians and their patients.
Many thanks to Noa Berini (nutrition project manager) and Jérémie Guichot (founder of Alivio) for this testimonial.
What is the purpose of your Alivio application?
“Alivio is an all-in-one software package enabling dieticians to manage their patients from A to Z. From online appointment booking to invoicing, health professionals can securely centralize their patient files and ensure their dietetic follow-up. They can create documents, dietary plans, recipes, questionnaires… and can even use the software for videoconferencing!
Patients can also access a mobile application. This application is free of charge, and optional for patients. It enables them to keep an up-to-date diary (with their meals, feelings of hunger and satiety, emotions, symptoms, hydration, physical activity, etc.). This diary is interactive, as it is linked to the software of the dietician who follows the patient!
Patients also have access to a follow-up space, with a messaging system for communicating with their dietitian and the possibility of accessing shared documents or recipes.”
What’s the story behind Alivio?
“Alivio is first and foremost a patient story. Jérémie, the founder, drew on his experience as a patient to create this software. His diet-related health problems led him to work alongside dieticians.
He realized that until then, there was no software enabling dieticians to make the link between a patient’s diet and their symptoms (digestive, for example). That’s how the software and patient application were born! At the end of 2020, 3 years ago now.
Today, over 1,000 dieticians use the Alivio software, and around 100,000 patients use the mobile app!”
Why and how do you use Open Food Facts?
“We use Open Food Facts for two reasons.
Firstly, to enable dieticians to recommend industrial products over others to their patients. Using Open Food Facts means they don’t have to buy the products, and take photos of them themselves in the kitchen 😉
Secondly, it allows patients to scan the industrial products they consume and pass on the information to their dietician.
We found out about Open Food Facts by word of mouth!We use the database and will soon be taking greater advantage of the API for greater flexibility and efficiency.
Open data licensing means a lot to us!The process of reusing the data went very smoothly. The link between our applications and Open Food Facts went very smoothly.”
What do you think is the most effective lever for greater food transparency?
“We believe that this kind of application, which references industrial products and their composition, is an effective lever.
We also believe that information, via health professionals or the media for example, enables greater transparency by making consumers autonomous and aware of their choices.”
What do you think makes Open Food Facts so special?
“Its extensive database and the precision of the information provided for each product! List of ingredients, nutritional composition, Nutri-Score, NOVA score, additives… All this information is invaluable for professionals and consumers alike.”
Jérémie and Noa