Health Gauge (a subsidiary of AI/ML Innovations) and TaqTik Health have entered into an agreement to pilot an AI-enhanced health & wellness remote monitoring solution for patients with obesity. The pilot study is a collaboration between bariatric surgeons and specialists in Mexico and Asia, Health Gauge and TaqTik Health focused on supporting its 35,000 remote obesity patient-subscribers at home with concierge health coaching. The pilot objective is to support lifestyle modification and sustain weight loss for medical travellers and remote patients, following bariatric surgery and other bariatric treatments. Determinants of programme success will focus on overall engagement and weight loss. The pilot is already well underway in Mexico and will roll out with other bariatric partners in Asia in the months ahead.
Health Gauge's proprietary digital health monitoring & management platform, which is provided through the HG Phoenix wearable and smartphone app, forms the technological backbone for the monitoring of the global bariatric patients involved in the pilot.
The unique solution provides pilot participants with 1:1 support from TaqTik health coaches and Bariatric & Metabolic Surgeon, Dr Humberto Solis, who is the head surgeon at Gastro & Bariatric Clinic and co-founder of Gastric and Bariatric foundation in Los Cabos, Mexico. The pilot patients in Mexico have had sleeve gastrectomy and bariclip procedures.
"This innovative pilot brings together an experienced group of partners with interest in improving affordable accessibility for bariatric surgery (whether local or overseas) while leveraging tech and touch to streamline remote post-care support to improve obesity patient success rates," said TaqTik President, Dr Yasuhiro Hashimoto.
Upon the successful conclusion of the pilot study, Health Gauge and TaqTik intend to enter a commercial arrangement to continue to utilise the Health Gauge solution to help improve the outcome for TaqTik's patients.
"Access to digital health solutions that blend cutting-edge technology with personalised, human support, is what we see as being the key to helping people reach and maintain health and lifestyle goals," added Randy Duguay, CEO of Health Gauge. "TaqTik and Health Gauge share a vision in making it easier for people to coordinate and stay engaged with their clinicians and health care support team no matter where they are, and is why we're excited about this landmark pilot partnership. It's a great example of what can happen when the digital health sector works directly with consumer-facing companies to address and prevent global obesity."