For a long time, how patients manage their chronic conditions have been systematic and simple. They have received a quick consultation and then left on their own to manage their dietary lifestyles and medication schedules.

Now we are seeing a change in the management of chronic disease. The use of digital health, personalized medicine, and real-time monitoring are beginning to provide sustainable health results and align clinical advice with the changes patients need to make.

Moving Away from the Scale: A Whole-Person Solution

The definition of obesity in health care has changed to a chronic, complex disease; moving away from the idea that it is caused by a lack of willpower. Obesity-management models today are now focused on metabolic health, not body weight. The use of these comprehensive advanced-model approaches to treating obesity will provide solutions based on a more holistic approach that will address the multiple physiological causes of obesity (e.g. hormonal issues, gut health, insulin resistance) as opposed to short-term solutions that will mitigate the underlying factors contributing to obesity and reduce the risk of diseases.

Telehealth and Remote Patient Monitoring (RPM) Have Changed How Patients Are Treated

Patients often lose their way between visits to the physician’s office. When that happens, RPM utilizes technology to catch potential problems before they develop into serious concerns.

Despite the fact that many times as a result of a patient's isolated location or work schedule they are unable to access specialty services, telemedicine has enabled those barriers to dissolve. Due to remote technology, monitoring and digital access, patients now have the ability to engage with specialists, dietitians and wellness coaches instantly.  Additionally, using automated processes or mobile technology, patients can achieve higher levels of compliance compared to traditional office visits.

GLP-1 Agonists: The Behavior Change Component

GLP-1 receptor agonists are changing the way obesity is treated, providing phenomenal outcomes for weight loss and glucose control.  However, the use of medication alone cannot produce the best outcomes. The best models of care involve a fully integrated chronic care approach to obesity treatment, which consists of pharmacotherapy and:

1) Behavioral Therapy to address the emotional aspects of eating.

2) Nutrition Education to help patients develop good eating patterns and habits long-term.

3) Strategies to maintain a patient’s metabolic rate while they are working to preserve muscle during weight loss.

Ultimately, the integrated chronic care model provides the necessary tools to maintain one’s weight loss after completing RPM and telehealth services.

Personalized medicine and data sciences

Data-driven medicine is transforming how we treat patients. Everyone's metabolism is different; yet data on all of us, through genetic testing, continuous glucose monitoring, etc. contributes to a huge database. This allows for more precise medicine, eliminating many of the trial-and-error cycles and making it easier for healthcare providers to base their decisions on actual experience with real patients, enabling them to build solid, personalized treatment plans that facilitate faster patient success and satisfaction.

The Integration of Digital Care: The Way Forward 

One of the biggest changes in healthcare through digital technology is the ability to deliver care in an integrated manner. Telehealth services (including Telehealth consultations, RPM data streams, behavioural coaching, medication management and analytical platforms) are now being delivered in a coordinated manner. This means that an integrated structure allows providers to deliver care in a more coordinated manner, rather than as fragmented services.

Developing integrated systems also provides an opportunity for organizations to access powerful, population-level health insight. Healthcare organizations can use integrated systems to identify patient-level trends; track the delivery of health outcomes across defined patients groups; and continually refine care models to reflect new knowledge, practices and technologies. The ability of integrated systems to continuously evolve allows for scalability within the management of widespread chronic diseases (e.g. obesity, or diabetes to manage).

Finally, digital tools also support health equity for patients who live in historically under-served or under-utilized areas. For example, when patients can access expert care through telehealth, they reduce the cost of travelling for specialized care and, therefore, do not need to pay large amounts of money out of their own pocket to obtain specialty care. As telehealth continues to develop, it will democratize access to specialized healthcare services.

Preventive Care as the New Standard

The future for managing chronic diseases is focus primarily on prevention; detecting and responding to early symptoms of metabolic function dysfunction can be done digitally and consequently. Early response reduces complications from disease development as well as costs incurred through the healthcare system.

Providers can proactively reach out to patients, utilize automated risk assessments and predictive analytics prior to the progression of disease. This means instead of operating on a reactive model (after a patient has deteriorated) it is possible to operate in a preventive manner (helping to keep patients as healthy as possible). The shift from reactive to preventive improves the quality of life for all patients as well as decreases the number of hospitalizations and emergency department visits.

Patients are also considered equal partners in their care by using technology, education and support as continuing guidance.

Working with you for better care

It is at the forefront of a new age in medical care, where we find technology and compassion working together to deliver proactive and intensive health care services for patients with chronic health issues on par with those for acute illnesses. With our innovative care models and comprehensive support systems, we are helping individuals break out of the cycle of obesity and take back their health.