Partnership to Expand Access to Integrated Virtual Care for Diabetes

With the goal of improving patient outcomes associated with diabetes, Omada Health Partners is working with Castell, Intermountain Healthcare's value-based care subsidiary, to provide patients with the option of integrated virtual care. 

A virtual, integrated chronic care healthcare provider, Omada Health offers personalized care plans for diabetes care, diabetes prevention, hypertension, and musculoskeletal issues. It works with more than 1,800 organizations, including health plans, health systems, and employers.

Intermountain Healthcare is a nonprofit health system with 33 hospitals, 385 clinics, and about 3,900 physicians and advanced care providers. Headquartered in Utah, the system also includes SelectHealth, a health plans division, and Castell, a value-based care subsidiary. Castell aims to assist providers, payers, and accountable care organizations in achieving value-based care through its analytics and care solutions.

According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), there are 37.3 million people in the US with diabetes, accounting for 11.3 percent of the population.

Through the new partnership, Omada Health and Castell aim to provide Intermountain Healthcare's diabetes patients with expanded access to the Omada Diabetes Prevention Program and Diabetes Program. Castell will help enroll eligible patients with diabetes or at risk of developing diabetes into the appropriate program. Patients receiving care from primary care providers within Intermountain's Utah Medical Group will have the option to enroll.

“This announcement points to a critical, strategic need in the industry — deep collaboration between health systems and virtual care providers,” said Wei-Li Shao, president of Omada Health, in a press release. “Together, Omada Health and Castell can connect traditional care with virtual care to reach more at-risk patients with our proven Diabetes Prevention and Diabetes programs. This new partnership positions Omada Health squarely at the intersection of in-person and virtual healthcare for some of the most prevalent chronic conditions and is a statement on where the evolution of care is headed.”

The two Omada Programs provide support for diabetes patients as well as health coach intervention. Through them, patients will have access to pre-connected cellular scales, continuous glucose monitors, blood glucose meters, and individualized care plans.

The Omada Diabetes Prevention Program has displayed efficacy in reducing the risk of diabetes among participants, according to the PREDICTS peer-reviewed study. The study shows that 44 percent of Omada participants achieved a weight loss of 5 percent or greater, compared with 21 percent of comparison group participants. Also, 58 percent reduced their A1c levels to the normal range versus 48 percent of the comparison group.

The Diabetes Program also succeeded in reducing A1c levels, with members achieving an average reduction of 0.8 percent, according to a study conducted in collaboration with Evidation Health.

Efforts to provide virtual care to diabetes patients are growing.

Last May, Walmart Health's national telehealth provider MeMD launched a virtual care program to enhance care for diabetes patients. Through this program, MeMD aimed to merge personalized diabetes education with counseling to treat behavioral health issues.

Program practitioners review the patient's history and background in an initial consultation, allowing them to schedule patients for follow-up visits with licensed behavioral health therapists to address mental healthcare gaps. Overall, the program aims to limit diabetes complications while informing providers of the best strategies for managing the condition more effectively.