Payer-covered Digital Health Approach Improves Patient Experience and Outcomes
The Froedtert & MCW health network and Network Health, a Wisconsin-based health insurer, today announced they are improving patients’ ability to manage diabetes by using digital health as part of the care team’s treatment approach. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), more than 34 million Americans have diabetes in 2020, up from 27 million in 2018, showing a pressing need to address this chronic disease.
Glooko, a digital health platform used by patients and their physicians to collect and share their diabetes and activity data, is prescribed to patients by their medical provider through Xealth, a digital health and workflow optimization platform, enabling providers to increase their visibility into how patients are managing their diabetes. Patients receive a better understanding of how their body is interacting with food, exercise and medication such as insulin as well as a deeper connection with their care team.
“People living with diabetes can experience rapid and dangerous changes to their glucose and A1c levels, making visibility into these changes important for ongoing care. As the first health system in the U.S. to add Glooko to our digiceutical formulary, we recognized the value it brings to patients early on. With Xealth delivering the Glooko mobile app for patients, clinicians have integrated access to the patients’ current information, which leads to more informed patient care decisions, even when the patient cannot visit the clinic in person.”
Bradley Crotty MD, MPH, chief digital engagement officer and internist with the Froedtert & MCW health network
The Froedtert & MCW health network began prescribing Glooko through the Xealth platform within the EHR workflow in December 2018 to patients with diabetes. Network Health is a key partner of the Froedtert & MCW health network, and based on early data showing improvement for patients, embarked on a unique partnership to expand its use for members. In January 2020, one particular patient began using the mobile app after extreme glucose (422) and A1c (10.4) levels left her fatigued, with no saliva, and worsening eye sight that resulted in her being hospitalized.
“Feeling tired and unwell, I went to see my doctor not realizing how extreme my diabetes had become. The experience scared me to make the changes necessary to improve my health. When I was contacted by a Certified Diabetes Educator RN working with my doctor who prescribed the Glooko app, I gave it a try. It allows me to see trends, follow activity, food combinations, target times to eat – really see what is happening with my body. Within four months, my A1c level is normal at 5.4!”
“We are driven to create healthy communities by working with health care providers to deliver innovative solutions. This includes bringing technology into play for managing chronic conditions like diabetes. By offering members the resources they need from the doctors they trust, Glooko and Xealth are helping our members achieve better health.”
Diabetes data collected by Glooko is securely shared with the patients’ physician and can be visualized in actionable charts and graphs, creating a solid foundation for doctor-patient collaboration and confident treatment decisions. Although the digital health app is available to any diabetic patient via all app stores, incorporating Xealth’s digital health platform with clinician recommendation has shown increased patient engagement rates as compared to a direct to consumer approach.
“Glooko has strengthened our diabetes outreach team’s ability to guide patients willing to share and remotely monitor blood sugar levels and support improved self-management.”
“Integrating the broad capabilities of Glooko, Xealth, Froedtert & MCW and Network Health has proven to improve the overall health of the patients in the program. We are excited to join forces with these industry partners.”
“Using the Xealth platform, which is integrated directly into Froedtert & MCW health network’s EHR, to prescribe Glooko gives physicians easier access to proven diabetes management tools and patients have support that their physicians recommend. To date, clinicians have ordered Glooko for 900 Network Health patients, so that is at least 900 more people who are working together with both their care teams and insurer to improve their health.”
Mike McSherry, CEO and co-founder of Xealth
Froedtert & the Medical College of Wisconsin
The Froedtert & the Medical College of Wisconsin regional health network is a partnership between Froedtert Health and the Medical College of Wisconsin supporting a shared mission of patient care, innovation, medical research and education. Our health network operates eastern Wisconsin’s only academic medical center and adult Level I Trauma Center at Froedtert Hospital, Milwaukee, an internationally recognized training and research center engaged in thousands of clinical trials and studies. The Froedtert & MCW health network, which includes five hospitals, nearly 2,000 physicians and more than 40 health centers and clinics, draws patients from throughout the Midwest and the nation. In our most recent fiscal year, outpatient visits exceeded 1.3 million, inpatient admissions to our hospitals were 52,855 and visits to our network physicians totaled 1,059,268. For more information, visit froedtert.com.
About Network Health
Founded in 1982, Network Health offers customized commercial and Medicare health insurance services to employers, individuals and families in more than 23 counties throughout Wisconsin. Through its strong reputation for quality health care coverage and superior customer service, Network Health has grown to serve more than 120,000 members. Network Health has a 4.5 out of 5 Star Rating for Medicare Advantage PPO plans from the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services, outperforming the national average of 4 Stars. Every year, Medicare evaluates plans based on a 5-star rating system. Network Health also has a 4.5 out of 5 rating for both Medicare and commercial products for 2019-2020 from the National Committee for Quality Assurance (NCQA). Network Health is one of only four health plans in Wisconsin receiving this NCQA score for Medicare and commercial plans, and no other plans in Wisconsin are rated higher. Network Health is ranked in the top 38 commercial plans and top 25 Medicare plans, and was also named one of the “Best Medicare Advantage plans for 2020” by U.S. News & World Report. Learn more at networkhealth.com. Visit our blog at networkhealth.com/grow-in-the-know/.
About Glooko
Glooko is transforming digital health by connecting people with diabetes and their health care professionals, enabling telehealth, clinical research and improved collaboration.
The company’s software platforms, Glooko® and diasend®, empower diabetes management by collecting and unlocking the power of data from blood-glucose meters, CGMs, insulin pumps, pens and activity trackers – bringing insights together in one place. Data is easily uploaded – remotely via app or in-clinic, securely shared and visualized in actionable charts and graphs. This creates a solid foundation enabling collaboration and confident treatment decisions. The platforms are compatible with the vast majority of diabetes devices available, giving people with diabetes and their care teams the freedom of choice.
2.8 million users have benefited from diabetes insights by using Glooko’s solutions, which are trusted by world leaders in diabetes care, and used in 26 countries across 15 languages. Learn more at glooko.com.
About Xealth
Xealth scales digital health programs, enabling clinicians to integrate, prescribe and monitor digital health tools for patients to drive engagement and utilization. Through the secure Xealth platform, clinicians can find and order the right digital health tools and programs for patients direct from the EHR workflow, send these digital health orders to the patient’s email or patient portal, and then monitor activity. Xealth spun out of Providence St. Joseph Health (PSJH) in 2017, and investors include Atrium Health, Cleveland Clinic, MemorialCare Innovation Fund, McKesson Ventures, Novartis, Philips, and ResMed as well as Providence Ventures, UPMC and the Froedtert and Medical College of Wisconsin Health Network.