active Assessment
Virtual Solutions for Gastrointestinal Conditions
Evidence Protocol Published
Last Updated
July 25, 2025
Conditions
Gastrointestinal Conditions
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PHTI is assessing the clinical and economic impact of virtual solutions for gastrointestinal (GI) conditions.
Area overview
Gastrointestinal conditions affect a significant portion of the U.S. population, with an estimated 60 to 70 million people experiencing digestive diseases. These disorders drive $136 billion in annual costs—more than diabetes or heart disease.
Virtual solutions are designed to accelerate diagnosis and care planning, while providing ongoing support to help manage the condition and associated symptoms.
These virtual solutions often include integrated remote consultations, medication management, continuous monitoring, personalized treatment and diet planning, behavioral health services, and symptom management support.
PHTI is assessing virtual solutions for GI conditions to determine the clinical effectiveness and budget impact of these solutions.
Why assess virtual solutions for gastrointestinal conditions?
- An estimated 60 to 70 million people in the United States are affected by gastrointestinal conditions like inflammatory bowel disease, irritable bowel syndrome, and gastroesophageal reflux disease.
- Patients with GI symptoms often face long diagnostic journeys that result in avoidable emergency room visits, expensive procedures and testing, and unnecessary suffering.
- Unmanaged digestive symptoms are the leading cause of treat-and-release emergency department visits and contribute to overutilization of endoscopies, imaging, and specialist visits.
- GI conditions account for $136 billion annually in U.S. healthcare spending, more than diabetes or heart disease.
- More than $300 million has been invested in virtual GI solutions since 2016, reflecting growing recognition of digital health’s potential to address care gaps.
- Payers, providers, employers, patients, and families are eager to understand which virtual GI solutions may provide meaningful clinical results at lower cost.
- Effective virtual solutions have the potential to both improve health outcomes for patients and have additional benefits such as increased employee productivity and reduced caregiver burden.
Downloads & Resources
June 2025
A systematic literature review of digital health technologies for gastrointestinal disordersInternational prospective register of systematic reviews (PROSPERO), National Institute for Health and Care Research
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