On January 10, 2023, Vivante Health revealed the expansion of its digestive health platform, GIThrive, by including a cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) digital therapeutic that aims to help users address conditions such as irritable bowel syndrome (IBS).
The new feature, known as IThrive, becomes the first CBT solution to be incorporated into a holistic digestive health platform and has been shown to reduce healthcare costs while improving participants' well-being.
Informed by the specific conditions of GIThrive's users, the new feature will let users benefit from a host of online tools for CBT, such as individual attention from a dedicated health coach and registered dietitian, daily audio sessions for ten weeks that teach CBT skills and techniques, guided meditation and breathing techniques for digestive health, evidence-based coping strategies, journaling, and other daily exercises.
Developed by clinical health psychologists, all IThrive components follow clinically validated CBT best practices to assist users in adjusting their behaviors and changing dysfunctional thinking patterns to help relieve symptoms of IBS and other digestive disorders.
Multiple independent studies have shown that CBT effectively relieves IBS symptoms, including one randomized controlled trial, in which, 90% of patients who used online CBT reported symptom improvement. In the latter study, 60% of participants reported a significant improvement in their symptoms.
IThrive is the first in a series of digital therapeutics that Vivante intends to add to its gut health platform to provide increasingly customized solutions for digestive disease patients. The feature expands on the core capabilities of the GIThrive platform, which offers evidence-based clinical pathways to help people suffering from chronic digestive conditions and their symptoms.
The platform combines the research of gut bacteria and identification of trigger foods with app-based individualized action plans, food diaries, educational resources, and 24/7 personal assistance from trained dietitians and health coaches. In addition, the platform is supported by a multidisciplinary group of gastroenterologists, microbiome scientists, and other clinical experts.
After a year, one non-profit employer that implemented the GIThrive platform witnessed a 15% decrease in digestive-related healthcare expenses, a 70% self-reported improvement in participants' health, and an 89% improvement in participants' general well-being, benefiting both employees and the employer's bottom line.
About Vivante Health
Chicago-based Vivante Health, established in 2016, is a digital healthcare business reimagining gut-first chronic disease management. GIThrive, the company's all-in-one gut health service, uses easy-to-use technology, superior research, and on-demand human support to enhance digestive health and save costs. The company focuses on digestive disease because it affects an astounding 70 million Americans, double the number of people with diabetes, and more than many other chronic conditions combined.