Revolutionizing the Treatment of Fatty Liver Disease: Introducing Salvo’s RPM for MASH & MASLD.

Metabolic dysfunction-associated steatotic liver disease (MASLD) is one of the most common liver conditions worldwide, and the numbers continue to grow.¹ Formerly named Non-Alcoholic Fatty Liver Disease (or NAFLD), MASLD is estimated to affect nearly 30% of the U.S. population. However, even this may be an underestimated value as there are no definite symptoms that can be attributed to fat accumulation in the liver and many are diagnosed incidentally.² The rise in MASLD parallels the rise in metabolic diseases like obesity, insulin resistance, high blood pressure, and cholesterol, which all share similar root causes and methods for treatment. 

‍

Approximately 20-30% of those with MASLD will progress to the more severe form, metabolic dysfunction-associated steatohepatitis or MASH.³ MASH indicates that injury has started to occur in the liver, which can continue progressing, resulting in scar tissue, cirrhosis, and liver cancer, and can progress to needing a liver transplant.

Why is it difficult to treat MASLD?

Lifestyle modifications and ongoing support are crucial components for managing MASLD effectively and preventing its progression. While physicians can easily offer lifestyle recommendations, the needed support for a patient to follow through on behavior change requires significant time and work. Delving deeply into a patient's lifestyle and maintaining regular progress checks can be challenging given how time-pressed today’s physicians remain. Moreover, GI practices and departments generally lack enough clinical staff trained in behavioral health and nutrition, consumer-friendly technology and rich medical content, or the analytics and machine learning expertise to optimally guide patients through a structured weight loss and care program.

‍

Due to the increased use of GLP-1 medications in treating MASLD, Salvo partners, including both healthcare providers in GI practices and PCPs at ACOs, are requesting structured, physician-supervised programs to complement the use of GLP-1 agonists. Without resistance training to maintain muscle mass and addressing issues like stress eating through cognitive behavioral therapy, developing new nutrition habits, and ensuring adequate macronutrient intake, patients face the risk of regaining or even surpassing their initial weight levels when reducing GLP-1 medications. This not only poses challenges for patients but also presents financial concerns for healthcare payers. Salvo's program has been designed to address these specific needs.

‍

Healthcare providers generally face staffing and training shortages for registered dietitians, behavior modification specialists, physical activity programs, stress management, sleep hygiene, and various other needs for an interdisciplinary program. Additionally, the current services available for metabolic conditions like obesity, diabetes, or hypertension lack a specific focus on liver disease, and they do not facilitate the coordination of patient care to keep the physician apprised in their EHR chart of patient progress and symptoms. By creating a program that keeps the patient under the local doctor’s care, and centers these trusted local practices rather than going around them, a much more medically-supervised and coordinated care experience is unlocked.

‍

Now, more than ever, Salvo Health is thrilled to announce this groundbreaking addition to our healthcare services that will transform the treatment of metabolic liver disease. Through cutting-edge technology and personalized care, our newly introduced Remote Patient Monitoring service offers patients an innovative and convenient way to manage their condition while ensuring seamless communication with their physician. In addition, this care model provides new revenue streams for practices through RPM and enables providers the ability to offer the continuous, hands-on care patients need to manage and maintain treatment progress.

What is Remote Patient Monitoring? 

Our Remote Patient Monitoring offering is designed to provide patients with comprehensive and personalized care to manage MASLD effectively. This program combines monthly nursing visits, continuous chat-based communication with a Registered Dietitian (RD), and tech-enabled lifestyle modifications. Let's take a closer look at the key components of this innovative solution.

‍

Monthly Nursing Visits

Regular virtual check-ins with a dedicated nurse are essential for monitoring health and progress. During these monthly visits, our nurses assess each individual's condition, define goals, and provide personalized guidance to help manage MASLD effectively. These visits ensure everyone receives the hands-on care and attention needed to not only progress but maintain their progress and thrive.

Continuous Chat-Based Communication 

Nutrition plays a pivotal role in managing MASLD. With our program, participants have direct and continuous access to their Registered Dietitian through chat-based communication. This means they can ask questions, receive guidance, and stay on track with dietary modifications whenever support is needed. Our RDs work closely with each person to create a personalized nutrition plan that aligns with their unique needs and preferences.

Tech-Enabled Lifestyle Modifications

Lifestyle modifications are at the core of MASLD management and we’ve integrated app-based technology to make these changes more accessible and sustainable. Participants have access to a daily habit tracker personalized to their treatment plan to track dietary changes, physical activity, and other lifestyle factors, along with additional educational resources. This digital support system ensures each person is equipped with the knowledge and tools needed to make meaningful and lasting change. 

Home Medical Device Biometrics

Each patient receives at no extra cost a connected scale that enables daily weight monitoring and communicates wirelessly with the patient’s dedicated nurse, dietitian, and behavioral therapist. Due to Salvo’s patient-first approach, the emphasis is much more on daily self-reported outcomes of feeling healthy, clear-minded, more energy, and improved mood, and less on weight as the main focus.  The scale enables the care team and physicians to monitor general weight and body composition trends over time, however, keeping patients and care teams coordinated and accountable.

Monthly Summaries

Multi-disciplinary care and communication is vital to improving patient outcomes. Each month, patient progress toward lifestyle modification goals will be tracked and summarized. All insights are sent to the patient's referring physician monthly in a comprehensive report. 

‍What are the Benefits of Remote Patient Monitoring? 

For Patients

• Delivers continuous access to engage with a knowledgeable care team for day-to-day needs;
• Improves lifestyle habits in an incremental, manageable way that promotes long-term behavior change and healthy choices;
• Promotes long-term health and reversal of potentially life-threatening diseases.

For Physicians

• Adds new revenue streams - no tech integration needed and minimal admin time required;
• Treats conditions the practice is not typically set up to handle and improves patient outcomes while maintaining doctor-patient relationships;
• Gives greater insight into patient progress with granular data;
• Lowers inbox burden by allowing Salvo to field day-to-day lifestyle modification questions.

How do I get started?

For practices and health systems that want to speak to our team about how we can integrate Salvo RPM into your workflow and EHR quickly and efficiently, contact Amanda Sussex at amanda@salvohealth.com.

‍