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Exploring the Surge in Remote GLP-1 Prescription Access

New medications like GLP-1 agonists offer a promising tool to help patients achieve a healthy weight. But supporting patients in long-term weight loss involves more than medication. “Obesity is a complex, chronic medical condition that requires comprehensive care. GLP-1 medications are powerful tools in the obesity medicine toolkit, but they must be paired with lifestyle counseling and medical oversight for success & safety,” said Lauren Lemieux, MD, FACP, Dipl. ABOM at FORM, a virtual obesity medicine clinic that empowers patients with obesity to take control of their health through a personalized weight loss plan.

 

Uncertainties persist regarding the long-term effectiveness of these medications and the best approach to determine which patients can safely discontinue the medication while maintaining weight loss, and which patients would benefit from a prolonged therapy regimen. As we continue to learn more about GLP-1 agonists, daily measurement of biometrics such as weight, BMI, blood pressure, heart rate, sleep patterns, and body composition is particularly critical to making informed care decisions. 

 

The rise in remote prescribing of GLP-1 medications reflects a broader trend toward telemedicine and remote healthcare delivery, which is driven by technological advancements and the need for increased care access. Healthcare teams continue to face challenges in treating and managing patients remotely, including:

 

• Limited to no regular physical patient assessment 
• Low patient engagement and communication in their treatment plan 
• Technical issues with devices and unreliable data measurements 
• Inability to correlate long-term data patterns with intervention strategies

Bridge the virtual care gap. Adopt smarter healthtech.

Care teams don’t always need more technology. They need smarter technology that improves their ability to provide better patient care. Withings offers a range of digital health solutions, from connected health devices like cellular scales and blood pressure monitors to an all-in-one self service remote patient monitoring platform. These solutions directly address many of the technological barriers of virtual care.

 

In a March 2024 survey, Withings asked their database of device users about their experience with GLP-1 treatments. Nearly a quarter of respondents reported taking GLP-1s, with a significant majority (93%) being prescribed healthy habits alongside their treatment. 60% of users noted biomarker changes associated with their GLP-1 regimen and 76% reported Withings products had a positive influence on their treatment journey. 

 

Withings newest cellular scale, Body Pro 2, combines habit-forming user features with a pioneering modular approach to manage chronic conditions like obesity. Its core capabilities allow care teams to capture advanced health metrics such as weight and body composition, while additional features can track advanced and clinically validated biomarkers typically only available in a professional setting. 

 

Withings Health Solutions simplifies access to long-term patient data, resulting in improved support of patients using GLP1s and faster decision-making for treatments and care strategies.

Part 2: Learn why measuring body composition is key for patients on GLP-1s

Keep Reading [post_title] => Part 1: Supporting Safe and Sustainable Weight Loss With GLP-1s - Finding the right remote health technologies [post_excerpt] => New medications like GLP-1 agonists offer a promising tool to help patients achieve a healthy weight. But supporting patients in long-term weight loss involves more than medication. [post_status] => publish [comment_status] => closed [ping_status] => closed [post_password] => [post_name] => supporting-safe-and-sustainable-weight-loss-with-glp-1s-part-1-finding-the-right-remote-health-technologies [to_ping] => [pinged] => [post_modified] => 2024-04-02 20:59:27 [post_modified_gmt] => 2024-04-02 20:59:27 [post_content_filtered] => [post_parent] => 0 [guid] => https://withingshealthsolutions.com/?p=1149 [menu_order] => 0 [post_type] => post [post_mime_type] => [comment_count] => 0 [filter] => raw ) [1] => WP_Post Object ( [ID] => 1153 [post_author] => 1 [post_date] => 2024-04-01 06:30:20 [post_date_gmt] => 2024-04-01 06:30:20 [post_content] =>

Strategies for long-term success and patient engagement

Weight gain is likely when patients stop taking a GLP-1 therapy. A 2022 study found patients who took the GLP-1 semaglutide had regained two thirds of their prior weight and had similar cardiometabolic changes a year after stopping the medication. These medications are typically not intended for lifelong use, so care teams should help patients build a routine from the start of their journey to maintain weight loss after medication. Some patients may stop the medication early due to a prescriber recommendation, severe side effects, or the cost or inconvenience of receiving weekly injections.

 

Prescribers at doctor’s offices and virtual weight loss programs should track patients throughout their journey and when they stop taking GLP-1s. This monitoring of daily progress provides long-term oversight of weight loss goals and maintenance.  

 

“Regular communication and motivation are crucial to helping patients stay on track. The health data Withings devices can capture on a regular basis has helped our Care Teams better monitor patient progress and provide personalized care,” said Lauren Lemieux, MD, FACP, Dipl. ABOM at FORM.

 

Withings’ newest cellular body composition scale introduces Health Nudges, a first-ever patient engagement feature that delivers messages from a patient’s care team to the screen of their scale. Health Nudges keeps patients engaged by highlighting milestones and sharing health reminders. For example, patients may receive kudos when they reach a particular goal or as an encouragement to keep going on their health journey. 

Avoid weight cycling

Only about one third of people can safely come off GLP-1 without gaining the weight back. Many people who struggle with their weight are familiar with the yo-yo experience of repeatedly losing weight and gaining it back. This is a risk when starting and stopping GLP-1 agonists. 

Weight cycling isn’t just tough on a patient’s psyche. Medical experts have found it’s bad for your health. A study published in the Journal of Clinical Endocrinology & Metabolism found that continual fluctuations in weight can strain the cardiometabolic system. That’s why care teams need access to long-term patient health data —  so they can recognize patterns and make necessary early interventions.

Tracking for added protection

GLP-1 agonists are still relatively new — the first medications were FDA approved in 2005. Although they are approved for people diagnosed with obesity, an increasing number of medical centers are prescribing them off-label for weight loss. Some physicians caution that there isn’t enough data to know if this is safe. By closely tracking body composition, care teams can gain valuable insights into how the medications are affecting patients on a daily basis.

 

Additionally, daily tracking of metrics such as weight trends, blood pressure, and sleep patterns is now possible through Withings’ full suite of at-home devices. This clinically validated data provides invaluable clues about patients’ health challenges, which can power care teams’ decisions over time. 

Setting patients up for long-term success

Patients who use medication as a quick fix and don't establish healthy habits are likely to regain the weight. It’s crucial to have a day-to-day perspective on the effects of drug and health habits on a patient’s body, for many reasons:

• Demonstrating the medication's efficacy
• Protecting patients from side effects like muscle loss
• Keeping patients engaged in their health journey

Ultimately, having regular insight into a patient’s progress and struggles helps care teams support them — and this gives them the best chance of long-term success. 

Interested in partnering with us?

Contact Us [post_title] => Part 3: Supporting Safe and Sustainable Weight Loss With GLP-1s - Managing weight after medication [post_excerpt] => Weight gain is likely when patients stop taking a GLP-1 therapy. A 2022 study found patients who took the GLP-1 semaglutide had regained two thirds of their prior weight and had similar cardiometabolic changes a year after stopping the medication. Prescribers at doctor’s offices and virtual weight loss programs should track patients throughout their journey and when they stop taking GLP-1s. This monitoring of daily progress provides long-term oversight of weight loss goals and maintenance. [post_status] => publish [comment_status] => closed [ping_status] => closed [post_password] => [post_name] => part-3-supporting-safe-and-sustainable-weight-loss-with-glp-1s-managing-weight-after-medication [to_ping] => [pinged] => [post_modified] => 2024-04-01 19:18:45 [post_modified_gmt] => 2024-04-01 19:18:45 [post_content_filtered] => [post_parent] => 0 [guid] => https://withingshealthsolutions.com/?p=1153 [menu_order] => 0 [post_type] => post [post_mime_type] => [comment_count] => 0 [filter] => raw ) [2] => WP_Post Object ( [ID] => 810 [post_author] => 1 [post_date] => 2023-10-19 12:55:14 [post_date_gmt] => 2023-10-19 12:55:14 [post_content] =>

Partner

Betr Health

Challenge

High demand for easy-to-use, patient-centric scales

Solution

Withings Body Pro Cellular Scale

Results

Reduced operational costs by 15%

By partnering with Withings we are not only getting rid of all of the logistics headaches and saving money, we’re ensuring a seamless member experience, and getting a really beautiful-looking, well-branded device so our members attach more value to it.

Dr. William Ferro, CEO of Betr Health

BACKGROUND

Betr Health is a ‘food as medicine’ movement that motivates individuals and families to prevent and reverse chronic conditions with a diet and lifestyle approach. The movement is curated, coached and supported 24/7 on the Betr platform which can be accessed through a web portal or their digital app. As part of the program, members get a personal health coach, community and resources such as meal planners, affordable fresh meal delivery, an AI fitness coach and more.

 

Since members have demonstrated to significantly lower their cost of care for diabetes, hypertension, obesity, musculoskeletal conditions, and inflammatory diseases, the Betr program is increasingly being paid for by employers and health plans such as Blue Shield of California, Blue Shield of South Carolina, Medicare Advantage, Medicaid and many more. And with the recent demand for GLP-1 medications, employers and health plans are turning to Betr’s step therapy program as an alternative to the GLP-1 medications.

CHALLENGE

Betr needed a reliable and accurate scale to provide members that is easy and seamless for them to consistently track their weight. Collecting accurate and reliable weight measurements from members allows Betr to effectively demonstrate to the insurance companies that their members are reaching a target percentage of between 5-10% weight loss, without the need for GLP-1 medications.

 

For Betr, the option of stocking scales and doing fulfillment themselves, or partnering with a 3rd party fulfillment center, was not efficient or cost-effective. They have thousands of members coming into their program each month based across the U.S., and they wanted to get the scales shipped and delivered within days. Additionally, having high touch support available was important in case members didn’t receive the scale or had a technical issue with it, as Betr was not staffed up to support these issues.

 

Betr is also a consumer-based business and they wanted to ensure the scale was not just functional but also had a sleek and aesthetically appealing design. Their prior vendor’s scale was more medical-looking, which doesn’t encourage members to keep it out in plain sight and engage with it habitually. Betr was also looking to partner with a recognizable brand and trusted leader in connected devices that is patient-centric, and consumers love to use, to provide more value to their members.

SOLUTION

Betr partnered with Withings Health Solutions to provide their members with a best-in-class cellular scale experience. With Withings Body Pro, members can now easily and seamlessly track their weight throughout the program. The cellular scale can be used right out of the box, without any set up required. Once the member steps on the scale, their weight data is instantly and reliably transmitted to Betr’s app via a Withings API integration.

Betr dropships scales to their members via an integration with Withings API. The Withings dropshipping capability enables Betr to to avoid managing a third party fulfillment center or risk inventory shortages and shipping delays, and reduces overall logistics costs. When a new member joins, Betr pushes a call to the Withings API to create an account, and a Body Pro scale along with a welcome flier is delivered within days.

“We have very few issues with the scale. We send thousands of scales a month, and I would say maybe one or two people a month would have an issue and typically it’s operator error.”

Dr. William Ferro, Founder & CEO of Betr Health

RESULTS

Withings’ dropshipping capability and unparalleled device and partner support results in significant operational cost savings, while also elevating the member experience. “Even if we could procure the scales at a lower cost, the cost of keeping up the API and general logistics would increase my operations cost by at least 15%, " says Dr. William Ferro, Founder & CEO.

Partnering with Withings Health Solutions has kept Betr Health's operational costs down by 

15%

Interested in partnering with us?

Contact Us [post_title] => Reducing Operational Costs and Elevating the Member Experience for a GLP-1 Step Therapy Program [post_excerpt] => Betr Health partnered with Withings Health Solutions to provide their members with a best-in-class cellular scale experience. With Withings Body Pro, members can now easily and seamlessly track their weight throughout the program. [post_status] => publish [comment_status] => closed [ping_status] => closed [post_password] => [post_name] => case-study-betr-health-reducing-operational-costs-and-elevating-the-member-experience-for-a-glp-1-step-therapy-program [to_ping] => [pinged] => [post_modified] => 2024-03-27 17:16:26 [post_modified_gmt] => 2024-03-27 17:16:26 [post_content_filtered] => [post_parent] => 0 [guid] => https://withingshealthsolutions.com/?p=810 [menu_order] => 0 [post_type] => post [post_mime_type] => [comment_count] => 0 [filter] => raw ) ) [post_count] => 3 [current_post] => -1 [before_loop] => 1 [in_the_loop] => [post] => WP_Post Object ( [ID] => 1149 [post_author] => 1 [post_date] => 2024-04-01 06:00:16 [post_date_gmt] => 2024-04-01 06:00:16 [post_content] =>

Exploring the Surge in Remote GLP-1 Prescription Access

New medications like GLP-1 agonists offer a promising tool to help patients achieve a healthy weight. But supporting patients in long-term weight loss involves more than medication. “Obesity is a complex, chronic medical condition that requires comprehensive care. GLP-1 medications are powerful tools in the obesity medicine toolkit, but they must be paired with lifestyle counseling and medical oversight for success & safety,” said Lauren Lemieux, MD, FACP, Dipl. ABOM at FORM, a virtual obesity medicine clinic that empowers patients with obesity to take control of their health through a personalized weight loss plan.

 

Uncertainties persist regarding the long-term effectiveness of these medications and the best approach to determine which patients can safely discontinue the medication while maintaining weight loss, and which patients would benefit from a prolonged therapy regimen. As we continue to learn more about GLP-1 agonists, daily measurement of biometrics such as weight, BMI, blood pressure, heart rate, sleep patterns, and body composition is particularly critical to making informed care decisions. 

 

The rise in remote prescribing of GLP-1 medications reflects a broader trend toward telemedicine and remote healthcare delivery, which is driven by technological advancements and the need for increased care access. Healthcare teams continue to face challenges in treating and managing patients remotely, including:

 

• Limited to no regular physical patient assessment 
• Low patient engagement and communication in their treatment plan 
• Technical issues with devices and unreliable data measurements 
• Inability to correlate long-term data patterns with intervention strategies

Bridge the virtual care gap. Adopt smarter healthtech.

Care teams don’t always need more technology. They need smarter technology that improves their ability to provide better patient care. Withings offers a range of digital health solutions, from connected health devices like cellular scales and blood pressure monitors to an all-in-one self service remote patient monitoring platform. These solutions directly address many of the technological barriers of virtual care.

 

In a March 2024 survey, Withings asked their database of device users about their experience with GLP-1 treatments. Nearly a quarter of respondents reported taking GLP-1s, with a significant majority (93%) being prescribed healthy habits alongside their treatment. 60% of users noted biomarker changes associated with their GLP-1 regimen and 76% reported Withings products had a positive influence on their treatment journey. 

 

Withings newest cellular scale, Body Pro 2, combines habit-forming user features with a pioneering modular approach to manage chronic conditions like obesity. Its core capabilities allow care teams to capture advanced health metrics such as weight and body composition, while additional features can track advanced and clinically validated biomarkers typically only available in a professional setting. 

 

Withings Health Solutions simplifies access to long-term patient data, resulting in improved support of patients using GLP1s and faster decision-making for treatments and care strategies.

Part 2: Learn why measuring body composition is key for patients on GLP-1s

Keep Reading [post_title] => Part 1: Supporting Safe and Sustainable Weight Loss With GLP-1s - Finding the right remote health technologies [post_excerpt] => New medications like GLP-1 agonists offer a promising tool to help patients achieve a healthy weight. But supporting patients in long-term weight loss involves more than medication. [post_status] => publish [comment_status] => closed [ping_status] => closed [post_password] => [post_name] => supporting-safe-and-sustainable-weight-loss-with-glp-1s-part-1-finding-the-right-remote-health-technologies [to_ping] => [pinged] => [post_modified] => 2024-04-02 20:59:27 [post_modified_gmt] => 2024-04-02 20:59:27 [post_content_filtered] => [post_parent] => 0 [guid] => https://withingshealthsolutions.com/?p=1149 [menu_order] => 0 [post_type] => post [post_mime_type] => [comment_count] => 0 [filter] => raw ) [comment_count] => 0 [current_comment] => -1 [found_posts] => 3 [max_num_pages] => 1 [max_num_comment_pages] => 0 [is_single] => [is_preview] => [is_page] => [is_archive] => [is_date] => [is_year] => [is_month] => [is_day] => [is_time] => [is_author] => [is_category] => [is_tag] => [is_tax] => [is_search] => [is_feed] => [is_comment_feed] => [is_trackback] => [is_home] => 1 [is_privacy_policy] => [is_404] => [is_embed] => [is_paged] => [is_admin] => [is_attachment] => [is_singular] => [is_robots] => [is_favicon] => [is_posts_page] => [is_post_type_archive] => [query_vars_hash:WP_Query:private] => 2fcdc8b001d6264418254b38fa8dafa0 [query_vars_changed:WP_Query:private] => [thumbnails_cached] => [allow_query_attachment_by_filename:protected] => [stopwords:WP_Query:private] => [compat_fields:WP_Query:private] => Array ( [0] => query_vars_hash [1] => query_vars_changed ) [compat_methods:WP_Query:private] => Array ( [0] => init_query_flags [1] => parse_tax_query ) )