Over the past year, when uncertainty has become a new norm, we have seen an incredible shift in innovation and adaptability in a world of rapid change and evolving work environments. From small businesses flourishing to corporations struggling to survive, we have witnessed unparalleled transformation across many aspects of our life.  

While the integration of digital tools in healthcare is not necessarily something new, we certainly have seen a real impact on healthcare access and deliverability more prominently. This subsequent uptake and adoption of digital health solutions following the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic has shined a light on the gaps in traditional health care, as well as the benefits these digital tools can provide for population health.

Digestive conditions are no exception, and long-lasting outcomes can be achieved through a well-balanced, bold approach to integrative care.  As such, we at Bold Health have made it our mission to transform the gut health of millions with the most convenient, effective, and efficient care.

We have made it our mission to transform the gut health of millions with the most convenient, effective, and efficient care.

‍

Suboptimal outcomes of conventional GI care

‍

Often hidden and taboo, gastrointestinal (GI) issues play a silent but significant role in the workplace, with 74% of Americans experiencing recurring gut symptoms, and 30% living with chronic GI disease. These GI conditions not only drive $136B in medical expenditures annually, but also impact employees’ physical, mental, and overall wellbeing, leading to consequential declines in productivity and an increase in workplace absences. 

Riddled with long wait times, sparse access to specialized providers and insufficient knowledge of available treatments, traditional GI management delivers a fragmented care journey with suboptimal outcomes. Additionally, the psychosocial and lifestyle factors of GI disease are often overlooked, leading to poor, short-term results. With up to 50% of IBS and IBD patients experiencing co-morbid depression and anxiety, this makes GI conditions an indirect driver of poor mental health and higher medical costs.

Undoubtedly, the industry-wide move towards a more virtual model of care has ignited the process of change. However, merely moving the existing healthcare system operations into a digital format is not enough. While accelerating the care process, it still lacks the adaptability and efficiency desired by patients.

‍

The time for digestive care transformation

‍

Driven by the clear need for transformation, we at Bold Health are reimagining how GI conditions are treated by putting patients at the center of care. Uniting technology with evidence-based treatments, we develop effective and efficient care pathways by providing members a virtual multidisciplinary provider team, as well as digital therapeutic programs for self-management. 

From health assessments to personalized care programs curated by a team of GI doctors, nurses, dietitians, GI psychologists and health coaches, patients receive an immersive end-to-end care service. Using a holistic approach, our platform enables members to get to the root causes of their gut dysfunction—whether it’s psycho-behavioral, lifestyle, or biological factors—unlike traditional approaches that focus on symptom management. 

This convenient and cost-effective service allows members to choose the care pathway that works best for them, empowering them to take control of their chronic GI condition. Above all, we strive to provide resource-efficient GI care for patients to get the high-quality care they need, when they need it, all the while improving physical and mental health outcomes, increasing productivity, and reducing the costs involved.

‍

The evidence behind virtual therapeutic care

‍

Pioneering the virtual therapeutic care market, Bold Health is the only platform to provide a truly comprehensive solution for GI care by incorporating both virtual care with multiple specialists, alongside clinically proven digital therapeutic programs.

With programs like Zemedy for irritable bowel syndrome (IBS), our first digital therapeutic app, we empower patients to self-manage their chronic digestive conditions to achieve superior results beyond their care program with sustained behavioral change.

Integrative care has proven to enhance patient satisfaction, increase the perceived quality of care, and enable access to services, which may significantly impact the services struggling to cope with increasing demand. We have seen evidence demonstrating a 50% higher reduction in GI symptoms with multidisciplinary care compared to standard treatments, as well as 72% of IBS patients achieving significant GI symptom reductions from cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT).

From a financial perspective, studies indicate a 20% reduction in medical claims when utilizing CBT for IBS, as well as a net savings of $59,000 per IBD patient over 2-years by implementing psychological interventions for inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) in hospital setting patients.

‍

The impact on population health

‍

To date, we have run and published a successful 120-person randomized controlled trial investigating the efficacy of Zemedy for IBS with our academic collaborator at the University of Pennsylvania, Dr. Melissa Hunt. This study met all primary and secondary outcomes, meaning we saw clinically significant improvements for over 50% of participants on each measure including gastrointestinal symptom severity, health-related quality of life, GI symptom-specific anxiety, depressive symptoms, and more. Most notably, 66% of patients achieved significant improvement in their GI symptom severity scores, with results maintained at 3 months follow up.

With the existing proof and long-term improvements evidence in development, we strive to help patients bring sustained and unparalleled relief to their gut symptoms, improvement in their wellbeing, boosted productivity, as well as significant savings on medical claims spend. 

We saw how technological advancement can improve access to effective therapies for chronic conditions that go beyond traditional treatments. Having proved the efficacy of Zemedy for IBS, we are now working on adapting its model for further advancement in the digitally-enabled management of other GI conditions, including IBD and GERD.

We saw how technological advancement can improve access to effective therapies for chronic conditions that go beyond traditional treatments. Having proved the efficacy of Zemedy for IBS, we are now working on adapting its model for further advancement in the digitally-enabled management of other GI conditions, including IBD and GERD.

‍

In addition to these programs, we have integrated a multidisciplinary care team for GI patients to improve health outcomes. Studies indicate a 50% higher reduction in GI symptoms when patients had a multidisciplinary care team compared to standard care. For specific indications like IBDs (namely Crohn’s and Ulcerative Colitis), we believe our specialized digital care pathway programs can generate a further reduction in symptoms like pain and fatigue, reductions in associated depression and anxiety, and improvements in quality of life that will ultimately lead to fewer doctor visits, medication prescriptions, and hospitalizations or emergency room visits.

With a vision of a world where people overcome the burden of chronic illness and live a limitless life, at Bold Health we grow with patients at a focal point, ensuring that each individual feels supported and has control of their gut health, in their personalized care journey and beyond.

‍

‍

‍