GERDHelp™ Mobile App to Assist GERD Patients in Navigating Their Journey With Individualized Education and Support, Provided by EndoGastric Solutions®
– Developed in partnership with DoctorPlan®, the app utilizes data to connect patients with expert clinicians as they jointly develop individualized plans for GERD treatment –
REDMOND, Wash.–(BUSINESS WIRE)–EndoGastric Solutions® today released the GERDHelp™ mobile application that will virtually guide gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD) sufferers through an individualized treatment pathway providing education and customized support along the patient journey. Patients can easily record GERD-related symptoms, as well as their frequency, severity, and patterns to better understand the impact GERD is having on their quality of life. This patient data collected between office visits provides the clinician of choice with a comprehensive picture of the disease to tailor/customize individualized care plans.
“GERD is a spectrum disease that plagues millions of Americans with frequent symptoms, both objective and subjective, requiring an individualized treatment plan,” said Rohit Agarwal, co-Founder and CEO of DoctorPlan®. “By collecting patient data between visits, the GERDHelp app keeps patients informed and engaged throughout their journey and helps guide clinicians to deliver better patient care.”
“Many sufferers take proton pump inhibitors (PPI’s) or H2 blockers to manage their symptoms. However, more than 30% of patients have GERD that is refractory to medications and may have an anatomical problem requiring interventional treatment,” said Peter Janu, MD, a general surgeon at Fox Valley Surgical Associates in Appleton, Wisconsin. “The app data allows me to better identify those patients sooner, and then tailor a treatment plan specific to each individual’s position along the disease spectrum.”
GERDHelp mobile app key features include:
- A robust GERD article library to educate and inform patients
- Symptoms, medication and vitals tracking
- GERD lifestyle support including diet and exercise guidance and mindfulness lessons
- Food, water and bowel movement journaling
- Secure two-way communication with GERDHelp nurses
- Diagnostic pathway guidance and treatment-specific FAQs
- Automated follow-up
“The combination of pharmacological options that do not address anatomical deficiencies and the long-term de novo side effects associated with traditional anti-reflux surgeries have created a significant treatment gap and left GERD sufferers without many options,” said Skip Baldino, President and CEO of EndoGastric Solutions. “The GERDHelp app will provide patients with helpful tools and education that will enable them to discover alternative, less invasive and durable treatment options like the TIF® 2.0 procedure using the EsophyX® device, which yields reproducible outcomes without the long-term side effects.”
EndoGastric Solutions is currently enrolling patients for the app’s release. The GERDHelp mobile app is available on iOS® and Android™ devices.
About GERD
Gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD) is a common gastrointestinal disease that affects nearly 20 percent of the U.S. population. It is a chronic condition in which the gastroesophageal valve (GEV) allows gastric contents to reflux (wash backwards) into the esophagus, causing heartburn and possible injury to the esophageal lining. In the United States (U.S.), GERD is the most common gastrointestinal-related diagnosis physicians make during clinical visits. Some patients may have mild or moderate symptoms of GERD, while others have more severe manifestations causing chronic heartburn, asthma, chronic cough, and hoarse voice or chest pain. Left untreated, GERD can develop into a pre-cancerous condition called Barrett’s esophagus, which is a precursor for esophageal cancer. The first treatment recommendation for patients with GERD is to make lifestyle changes (e.g., diet, scheduled eating times and sleeping positions). Proton pump inhibitor (PPI) medications are commonly used to treat GERD, but there are a variety of health complications associated with long-term dependency on PPIs, and more than 10 million Americans are refractory to PPI therapy and may opt for surgery.
About Transoral Incisionless Fundoplication (TIF® 2.0 procedure) for Reflux
The TIF 2.0 procedure enables an incisionless approach to fundoplication in which a device is inserted through the mouth, down the esophagus and into the upper portion of the stomach. This approach offers patients looking for an alternative to traditional surgery an effective treatment option to correct the underlying cause of GERD. Based on clinical studies, most patients stopped using daily medications to control their symptoms and had their esophageal inflammation (esophagitis) eliminated up to five years after the TIF 2.0 procedure. Additionally, clinical results have demonstrated that concomitant laparoscopic hiatal hernia repair (LHHR) immediately followed by TIF 2.0 procedure is safe and effective in patients requiring repair of both anatomical defects.
Over 27,000 TIF procedures have been performed worldwide. More than 140 peer-reviewed papers have consistently documented the sustained improved clinical outcomes and exemplary safety profile the TIF procedure provides to patients suffering from GERD. For more information, please visit www.GERDHelp.com.
About EsophyX® Technology
The EsophyX technology is used to reconstruct the gastroesophageal valve (GEV) and restore its function as a barrier, preventing stomach acids from refluxing back into the esophagus. The device is inserted through the patient’s mouth with direct visual guidance from an endoscope, and enables creation of a 3 cm, 270° esophagogastric fundoplication. The U.S. Food and Drug Administration cleared the original EsophyX device in 2007. The evolving technology, including the latest iteration EsophyX Z+, launched in 2017, enables surgeons and gastroenterologists to use a wide selection of endoscopes to treat the underlying anatomical cause of GERD.
Indications
The EsophyX device, with SerosaFuse® fasteners and accessories, is indicated for use in transoral tissue approximation, full thickness plication and ligation in the gastrointestinal tract. It is indicated for the treatment of symptomatic chronic GERD in patients who require and respond to pharmacological therapy. The device is also indicated to narrow the gastroesophageal junction and reduce hiatal hernia ≤ 2 cm in size in patients with symptomatic chronic GERD. Patients with hiatal hernias larger than 2 cm may be included, when a laparoscopic hiatal hernia repair reduces the hernia to 2 cm or less.
About EndoGastric Solutions®
Based in Redmond, Washington, EndoGastric Solutions, Inc. (www.endogastricsolutions.com), is a medical device company developing and commercializing innovative, evidence-based, incisionless surgical technology for the treatment of GERD. EGS has combined the most advanced concepts in gastroenterology and surgery to develop products and procedures to treat gastrointestinal diseases, including the TIF 2.0 procedure—a minimally invasive solution that addresses a significant unmet clinical need. Join the conversation on Twitter: @GERDHelp Facebook: GERDHelp and LinkedIn: EndoGastric Solutions.
About DoctorPlan®
DoctorPlan is a digital health company that helps healthcare organizations leverage precision health data to personalize care delivery. The DoctorPlan platform is designed to improve clinical outcomes – with informed patients who understand their role in managing their health and are guided through their care pathways, and prepared doctors who access precise patient health information, including progress between visits, to personalize care.
Contacts
Media:
Erich Sandoval
Erich.Sandoval@FinnPartners.com