Ochsner Health is expanding its digital medicine program to offer weight management, the health system said Wednesday.
Some patients in the program will have access to popular weight loss medications including glucagon-like peptide agonists, Ochsner said in a news release. The digital medicine program has previously focused on patients with hypertension, Type 2 diabetes and hyperlipidemia.
Related: Telehealth companies are split on compounded GLP-1s
New Orleans-based Ochsner launched the digital medicine program in 2015 and said it has provided care to more than 50,000 individuals over its nine-year history. Patients in the program typically receive a blood pressure device, a blood glucose meter and access to the smartphone app. Patients in the weight management program will receive personalized weigh-in reminders through the app, Ochsner said.
The program will be available at no cost to patients other than if their prescription plan has a cost sharing component for access to the weight loss medications, Ochsner Digital Medicine CEO Dan Shields said in an email. The effectiveness of the GLP-1 drugs will be monitored through patients submitting their weight and having regular digital and telephonic interactions with their care team, Shields said.
The digital medicine program is overseen by a care team comprised of health coaches, registered dietitians, clinical pharmacists and physician assistants. For the program, the health system contracts with payers and employers.
The digital medicine program has seen success in the form of improved outcomes, including better rates of medication adherence and blood pressure control, as well as lowered costs, according to information Ochsner shared from third-party healthcare performance evaluation company Validation Institute. Ochsner is also one of the few health systems to develop their own remote patient monitoring programs in house.
Ochsner is the latest organization seeking to leverage the popularity of GLP-1 medications such as Novo Nordisk’s Wegovy and Eli Lilly’s Zepbound. GLP-1s have led many organizations to offer virtual weight management services, including Mayo Clinic. The Rochester, Minnesota-based organization said in January it's testing a telehealth weight loss offering through its diet program.
