The deployment marks the first commercial implementation of Proteus Discover in the United States after the completion of successful clinical trials. Proteus Discover offers an innovative approach to improving health outcomes for patients with long-term chronic conditions who are having challenges managing their medications. The first implementation is focused on uncontrolled and co-morbid hypertension.
The burden of chronic disease is a far-reaching global health issue, affecting approximately 117 million people in the United States alone.1 Patients with uncontrolled hypertension, diabetes, and hypercholesterolemia are at high-risk for cardiovascular events and costlier interventions. In the United States, 50% of patients have uncontrolled disease despite treatment.2 Medication non-adherence and lack of effective or timely treatment optimization are two key factors explaining uncontrolled disease and were estimated to cost the U.S. healthcare system $290 billion annually in 2009.
"Patients struggle with medication adherence for various reasons. When a non-adherent patient is not seeing results and the physician believes a patient is taking a medication, this may lead to unnecessary changes in treatment which can be costly for the patient and the health system," says Dr. Purvance, Chief Executive Officer of Barton Health. "This new product offering provides a data-driven communication channel between the medical provider and the patient that empowers the patient to take the appropriate dose of medication and better understand the importance of daily activity levels and other lifestyle changes."
Proteus Discover, which utilizes FDA-cleared technology from Proteus including ingestible sensors, has been clinically validated in this critical cardiovascular patient population. Barton Health has chosen Proteus Discover as a tool to activate patients and their physicians with the personalized insights needed to reach their individual treatment goal.
"Patients are seeking easier ways to engage in their own care; healthcare providers are looking to more effectively manage chronic conditions," said Andrew Thompson, CEO of Proteus Digital Health. "Barton is among a group of pioneering health systems addressing these opportunities head on by adding digital health solutions that extend their physical footprint, laying the groundwork for a durable population health strategy."
How Proteus Discover works: A patient’s medications are co-encapsulated through specialty pharmacy services with a Proteus ingestible sensor, which is the size of a grain of sand and is activated when it reaches the stomach. On activation, the ingestible sensor communicates with a small sensor patch worn by the patient.
The patch records the time of ingestion and personalized data such as heart rate, activity, and rest. This information is then relayed electronically to the patient through an application on a mobile device, which also provides support and insight to the patient and allows them to share their data with their healthcare professional. Physicians and their care teams can access a web-based physician dashboard where they are provided with objective data that can inform personalized treatment decisions.
