Gastro Girl Unveils Telehealth Coaching & Nutritional Counseling Platform at Digestive Disease Week 2016

Rockville, MD, May 18, 2016 --(PR.com)-- Gastro Girl LLC today announced that it will unveil the first online health platform designed to support patients with chronic gastrointestinal symptoms and conditions between office visits and help them comply with their doctors’ dietary, medication and other treatment plans, at Digestive Disease Week 2016 in San Diego, CA, May 21-24.

“Gastro Girl’s core mission is to empower patients with chronic digestive health symptoms and conditions to take control of their health so they can feel better,” said Jacqueline Gaulin, Founder and CEO, and former Director of Communications and Digital Engagement for the American College of Gastroenterology. “With a stellar team of leading GI clinicians and dietitians, Gastro Girl is committed to leveraging the latest technology to give patients access to the full ecosystem of digestive health expertise and connect them virtually with the critical support they need to effectively manage their health in partnership with their physicians.”

Gastro Girl brings three key elements together so patients can easily access the ongoing support they need between doctor visits:

· Telehealth Coaching & Nutritional Counseling via a cloud-based, state-of-the-art, HIPAA-compliant telemedicine platform which gives patients access to registered dietitians and health coaches who have specific expertise working with gastrointestinal symptoms and conditions, like irritable bowel syndrome (IBS), inflammatory bowel disease (IBD), celiac disease, as well as food sensitivities.
· Online Support Community that features expert insights and private support groups led by digestive health experts. Upcoming groups include a 30-Day Gluten Free Challenge and a 90-Day LowFOD Map Intro and Support Group led by leading GI nutrition specialists.
· Digital Health Journal where patients can document, track and describe their symptoms, mood, health status and what they eat in the way that works best for them (e.g., pictures, video or audio recordings, or written journal entries).

“Gastro Girl provides all the elements needed for individuals with chronic digestive health symptoms and conditions to obtain up-to-date information, to take control and be coached in the process,” said Douglas A. Drossman, MD, President, Drossman Center for the Education and Practice of Biopsychosocial Care LLC; Founder and President, Rome Foundation. I am pleased to be a part of this endeavor as Chief Medical Advisor."

Why Gastro Girl?
About 1 in 4 people in the U.S. are affected by chronic digestive health (gastrointestinal) symptoms (gas, bloating, constipation, diarrhea, abdominal pain) and conditions, (such as irritable bowel syndrome). 70% of these people are women. The conditions account for about 41% of GI problems seen by doctors and therapists. According to the December 2015 IBS in America Survey, Irritable bowel syndrome (IBS) is estimated to impact nearly 35 million Americans and causes recurring abdominal pain and constipation or diarrhea. Symptoms are so bothersome that some sufferers report that they would be willing to give up caffeine or even sex for one month in order to obtain a month’s relief from symptoms.

Dietary modification is often a first-line treatment recommendation for patients with IBS. Recent studies suggest that an important driver of response to any dietary intervention is interacting with a trained GI dietician - optimally one on one, but even group education sessions can be highly effective, according to a recent article by William D. Chey, MD, Food: The Main Course to Wellness and Illness in Patients with Irritable Bowel Syndrome, that was published in The American Journal of Gastroenterology. “At present, many gastroenterologists have access to a general dietician, but only a small percentage has access to a registered dietician with specialized GI training.”

“Patients with digestive disorders need accessibility to dietitians with GI nutrition expertise. who can provide up-to-date and individualized nutritional interventions to address the complexity of symptoms in digestive conditions,” said Kate Scarlata, RD, LDN, New York Times Best Selling author, Boston, MA. “Gastro Girl brings knowledgeable dietitians to the GI sufferer’s home, revolutionizing the ability to address the needs of the patient in a stress free environment,” said Scarlata, who is on the company’s advisory panel.

About Gastro Girl:
Gastro Girl LLC, a Rockville, MD-based start-up health technology company, has developed the first telehealth coaching and support platform dedicated to patients with gastrointestinal health symptoms and conditions. The platform supports patients between office visits with access to dietitians with GI nutrition expertise, health coaches, an online community led by digestive health experts, tools and resources. The platform offers providers a comprehensive cloud telemedicine suite that includes secure video, end-to-end practice management tools like scheduling, document sharing and billing, and other capabilities and workflow solutions designed for virtual patient engagement. The company recently completed the Relevant Health Accelerator. Learn more at gastrogirl.com. Follow on Twitter @gastrogirl.