MOUNTAIN VIEW, Calif., May 31, 2022 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Lark Health today announced results from its latest clinical study which found that increased engagement is related to increased weight loss for older adults. For the study, qualified users were enrolled in one of Lark’s AI-powered prevention programs: Lark Prevention and Wellness, which includes smoking cessation, stress and anxiety management, and weight loss, and Lark’s Diabetes Prevention Program, which is Fully Recognized by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). The research was published in the peer-reviewed journal Frontiers in Digital Health.
In their analysis, researchers found that CDC qualifier study participants, who had an average age of 67.5, achieved an average weight loss of 8.56 percent, indicating that older adults had success with their weight loss goals when they engaged with either of Lark’s two AI-powered prevention programs. During the first nine weeks of the study, participants logged an average of 146 counseling conversations and completed an average of 22 weigh-ins. Additionally, 45 percent of participants had early educational lesson initiation - meaning they completed more than two health information lessons from Lark’s structured educational curriculum during the first three weeks of the program. These engagement variables were significantly related to percent weight loss, with greater engagement correlating with greater weight loss. These findings are significant because older adults have a higher prevalence of chronic diseases, with 86 percent of this population having at least one chronic condition.
“AI-powered digital health solutions have proven to be an effective way to engage older adults in their health, and this study is terrific validation that Lark’s programs are helping drive outcomes among this high-risk population,” said Dr. Lynne Nowak, Lark’s Chief Medical Officer. “As we continue to see a high need for effective prevention methods to combat the growing impact of chronic disease, digital health tools provide accessible channels to engage marginalized, high-risk, and hard-to-reach populations.”
The researchers tracked 538 Lark users enrolled in either of the two prevention programs. Researchers measured their engagement with the programs and compared that with ongoing weight measurements. Engagement was measured across three key metrics during the first nine weeks of program participation: conversations with the AI-powered coach, early lesson initiation, and the number of weigh-ins completed. As part of their results, the researchers found that all three engagement variables were significantly related to percent weight loss, with higher engagement correlating with greater weight loss. The results from this study suggest that older adults can successfully lose weight using fully digital programs like Lark’s. This research adds to the growing body of literature on older adults and digital health, further suggesting that greater engagement is associated with positive health outcomes among this population.
This study marks the third publication from Lark’s Clinical Studies and Research team in the past nine months, consistent with the company’s commitment to advancing the clinical evidence base for AI-powered care. In February, a study in Population Health Management found that Lark’s digital Diabetes Prevention Program increased access for individuals living in rural and federally designated Health Professional Shortage Areas, and previously a study in Frontiers of Digital Health showed high engagement among adults 65 years and older with Lark’s digital health platform.
About Lark
Lark is the leading AI virtual health care counseling platform, helping nearly 2 million people manage and prevent chronic conditions, stress, and anxiety. Having invested more than $100 million in R&D, Lark combines cutting-edge AI with remote patient monitoring capabilities to provide 24/7, real-time, text message-based health counseling to patients whenever and wherever they need it. For payers, Lark is a highly scalable way to offer the kind of personalized care that supports member acquisition, retention, care delivery, and navigation. As a result, Lark works with some of the largest national health plans and self-insured employers, and is a covered benefit for 30.5 million people. Lark's virtual care programs have proven to achieve clinical outcomes on par with nurse and coach driven healthcare services. Programs include Diabetes Prevention, which has received CDC Full Recognition, the CDC's highest level of certification; Diabetes Care; Hypertension Care; and Prevention, which includes Smoking Cessation, Stress and Anxiety management, and Weight Loss programs. The company has received numerous accolades, including having been named one of the 10 Most Innovative Apps in the World by Business Insider, one of Fast Company's Most Innovative Companies (multiple years), one of the CB Insights Digital Health 150 (2019), and one of Fierce Healthcare's Fierce 15 (2020). To learn more, visit www.lark.com.
Press Contact:
Dori Zweig
lark@crosscutstrategies.com
