EDMONTON, January 26, 2023 – Health Gauge is pleased to announce that it has entered into a Letter of Intent with the Silicon Valley-based TaqTik Health, Inc to pilot an AI-enhanced health & wellness remote monitoring solution for obesity patients.
This multi-phased pilot is a collaboration between bariatric surgeons and specialists in Mexico and Asia, Health Gauge, and TaqTik Health – a global provider focused on supporting its 35,000 remote obesity patient-subscribers at home with concierge health coaching. The pilot is already well underway in Mexico and will roll out with other bariatric partners in Asia in the months ahead, including patients being treated with bariatric surgery and other obesity treatments.
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.
The pilot objective is to support lifestyle modification and sustain weight loss for medical travelers and remote patients, following weight loss surgery and other bariatric treatments. Determinants of program success will focus on overall engagement and weight loss.
Global obesity rates have tripled since 1975 with one billion people globally estimated to be living with obesity by 2030. In 2021, the American Society for Metabolic and Bariatric Surgery (AMMBS) still considers metabolic/bariatric surgery the most effective and long-lasting treatment for severe obesity resulting in significant weight loss and the improvement, prevention, or resolution of many related diseases including type 2 diabetes, heart disease, hypertension, sleep apnea, and certain cancers.
“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, Mr. Yasuhiro Hashimoto, M.D.
“Access to digital health solutions that blend cutting-edge technology with personalized, 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 it’s 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.”
TaqTik Health, Inc. through its consumer brands, Gorgeous Getaways, and Taqtik Health offers concierge services connecting international patients with high-quality and affordable surgery and treatments, in collaboration with over 120 global clinical organizations. “Providing best-matched personalized treatments combined with health & wellness monitoring provides a unique value for remote and international patients,” says Rachel Rowling, COO of TaqTik, “to consistently deliver long-term positive patient outcomes and experiences.”
On-demand healthcare is where patients use and access healthcare services online in real-time, via wearables, mobile apps, or websites. From scheduling an appointment with a TaqTik health consultant, booking a vertical teleconsultation with a top surgeon or specialist, to booking a surgery or treatment date in over 25 destinations, the purpose of on-demand healthcare is that patients can use these services instantly and easily, whenever and wherever they want, through smart mobile devices.
“On demand healthcare consumers are much more willing to pay private clinics and travel domestically or internationally to get access to life-changing surgeries and treatments,” says Rachel Rowling, COO of TaqTik. “The alternative is waiting on long waiting lists for publicly funded surgery that further inhibits the quality of life, causing long-term costs for both patients and taxpayers”.
