MENLO PARK, Calif.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Hello Heart, the only digital therapeutics company to focus exclusively on heart disease, is proud to announce it has achieved Validation Institute’s highest validation and credibility certification — Level 1 – Savings. The distinction confirms that Hello Heart’s AI-driven, smartphone-based solution reduced total employer medical spend by an average of $1,865 per participant per year.
The certification is the result of an extensive and independent review by Validation Institute’s population health scientists of peer-reviewed matched control study of self-funded employer client medical claims data from 2017-2020.
The substantial cost savings of $1,865 per participant per year — or 19% of total medical claims spending — is largely the result of participants avoiding expensive surgeries and invasive procedures.
When comparing Hello Heart participants to matched control members, some notable reductions in spending by service category include:
- Surgery/inpatient savings: $516 per participant per year
- Emergency room savings: $304 per participant per year
- Imaging diagnostic savings: $878 per participant per year
The study also found that Hello Heart program participants increased their visits to primary care providers, as the Hello Heart solution encourages use of preventative care. Not only is this far more cost-effective overall, but it supports better long-term health outcomes by utilizing more preventative care services.
“High blood pressure is a leading risk factor for cardiovascular disease. Uncontrolled hypertension can lead to heart attack, heart failure, stroke, and kidney disease,” said Dr. Sanjeev Aggarwal M.D., System Chief of Cardiovascular Surgery and Clinical Innovation Officer at Beaumont Health, and Medical Advisor at Hello Heart. “Interventions that focus on prevention and management – like the Hello Heart program – can provide early detection of hypertensive crises and irregular heartbeats and allow people to potentially avoid the complications of advanced heart disease, invasive procedures, and surgeries.”
“People with uncontrolled blood pressure can often go through invasive and unnecessary procedures that can not only be dangerous and painful, but can cost over $150,000 per surgery,” said Maayan Cohen, CEO of Hello Heart. “Our clinically validated solution helps to avoid this. Hello Heart participants had fewer surgeries, fewer emergency room visits, and shorter hospitalizations. Rather, they visited their primary care physician more often, indicating a renewed interest in proactively managing their cardiac health before it gets out of control. You can help your members avoid unnecessary expensive surgeries.”
"As an independent, objective third-party organization, Validation Institute provides unbiased, data-driven insights on healthcare solutions and services by validating performance claims made by solutions providers and educating purchasers to drive transparency in the marketplace and maximize cost-savings," said Benny DiCecca, Validation Institute CEO & President. “Our population health scientists found that Hello Heart users have lower medical claims than matched non-users, driven by lower use of high-intensity care — such as surgery and emergency room visits — and diagnostic services.”
“We commend Validation Institute for their diligence and integrity, and for playing an important role in helping organizations and the general public know which solutions they can trust,” added Cohen. “In addition to our newly validated financial outcomes, we recently published a large-scale clinical study in JAMA Network Open proving our clinical outcomes.”
About Hello Heart
Hello Heart is the only digital therapeutics company to focus exclusively on heart disease, the leading cause of death worldwide. Through a connected mobile device that uses AI, behavioral science, and personalized digital coaching to drive lifestyle changes, Hello Heart empowers people to reduce blood pressure and predicts serious heart issues before they occur. Validated in peer-reviewed studies, Hello Heart is easy to use and works alongside an employer’s benefits ecosystem. Leading employers across most major industries are realizing immediate and sustained results for member engagement, clinical outcomes, and reduced cost of unnecessary cardiac procedures. Founded in 2013, Hello Heart is a member of the American Heart Association’s Innovators’ Network and is part of the CVS Health Point Solutions Management Program. Visit www.helloheart.com for more information.
About Validation Institute
Validation Institute is an independent, objective, third- party organization on a mission to improve the quality and cost of healthcare. Based in Woburn, MA, the organization is made up of a network of health benefits purchasers, health benefits advisors, and healthcare solution providers focused on delivering better health value and stronger outcomes than conventional healthcare.
