LONDON, May 19, 2017 /PRNewswire/ --

Data from a pilot study using IO Loop™ with TheraSphere^® (a ⁹⁰Y transarterial radioembolisation therapy) will be presented at the World Conference on Interventional Oncology 

BTG plc (LSE: BTG), a global specialist healthcare company, and HealthLoop, a cloud-based platform that automates follow-up patient care, announced today their collaboration on IO Loop^™. This is an exclusive service from BTG that gives access to a turn-key digital support platform powered by Healthloop. IO Loop™ enables patients and their physicians to stay connected, providing improved pre-procedural patient instructions and ongoing follow-up care outside of the acute care setting. This service also provides the care team with patient-reported outcomes that help physicians meet the new reporting requirements of Medicare Access and CHIP Authorisation Act (MACRA).

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Patients are the most underleveraged resource in the achievement of better health outcomes. IO Loop™ empowers patients by connecting them with their physician via a digital support platform, and fully engages them in their treatment journey. Online engagement before, during and after treatment has the potential to reduce physician burden, delivering the right information at the right time. The IO Loop™ service helps patients prepare for their treatment, track and report any symptoms, review key treatment information at the appropriate time, and provides a personalised follow-up care plan with appropriate advice.  This support results in a better overall patient experience.

Lisa Hayden, Vice President, Global Reimbursement at BTG commented: "We know that patients who are involved in their treatment journey have the best chance of better outcomes, and at BTG we are committed to providing solutions to achieve this. Through IO Loop™, the first service of its kind in interventional oncology, automated collection of patient information, improved patient outcomes, and potentially enhanced patient experiences can have unique benefits for healthcare providers and help them to meet the reporting requirements of MACRA."

Todd Johnson, HealthLoop CEO said of the partnership: "At HealthLoop our mission is to keep physicians and patients connected via our proven technology-enabled engagement platform. By partnering with BTG on this important initiative we believe that we can empower patients and offer the best experience both for them and their healthcare provider."

The collaboration leverages BTG's leadership in interventional oncology with HealthLoop's digital expertise in patient-centric solutions, offering a unique service that has the potential to differentiate and simplify interventional oncology practice.

Karen Grace, Clinical Nurse Coordinator, Interventional Oncology at Northwestern Memorial Hospital, Chicago commented: "At Northwestern we have experienced the benefits of the IO Loop™ service first hand. Having ongoing access to the patient's performance has enabled timely intervention, which in turn has minimised complications and reduced the likelihood of re-admission. This not only improves the quality of life of our patients but also enables us, as healthcare providers, to deliver a higher standard of care."

Data showing the benefits of this technology with TheraSphere^® in interventional oncology will be presented next month at the World Conference on Interventional Oncology (WCIO) in Boston, U.S., 8-11 June 2017.

About BTG Interventional Oncology 

BTG Interventional Oncology is transforming the way cancer is treated with wide-ranging solutions consisting of minimally-invasive, highly targeted therapies that can be personalized to each patient's needs. Our products are used to treat or provide symptomatic relief for people with cancer and benign tumors. To learn more about BTG Interventional Oncology, please visit:  https://www.btg-im.com.

About HealthLoop 

HealthLoop engages patients at home before their admission and for weeks and months after discharge to continuously guide, educate, and assess the status of their recovery. By automatically sending notifications to patients, HealthLoop remotely monitors patients and identifies those that need help, allowing clinical teams to proactively intervene before costs and complications escalate. Developed as an enterprise solution to support all clinical specialties, HealthLoop's content and analytics are deeply integrated into care management workflows. HealthLoop facilitates over 500,000 patient interactions every month. To learn more, please visit: http://www.healthloop.com.

About TheraSphere® 

TheraSphere^{® 90}Y glass microspheres are specifically engineered to carry far greater power than any other ⁹⁰Y liver-directed cancer therapy, delivering high doses of radiation to liver tumors while sparing normal tissue. The result is a powerful, targeted and well-tolerated therapy that may lead to patients becoming eligible for curative therapies.  In the EU, Singapore, South Korea and Canada, TheraSphere^® is approved for the treatment of hepatic neoplasia. In the US, TheraSphere^® is approved under a Humanitarian Device Exemption (HDE) for use in radiation treatment or as a neoadjuvant to surgery or transplantation in patients with unresectable hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) who can have placement of appropriately positioned hepatic arterial catheters. The device is also indicated for HCC patients with partial or branch portal vein thrombosis/occlusion, when clinical evaluation warrants the treatment.  The effectiveness of this device for this use has not been demonstrated.

For full instructions for use and important safety information, please visit http://www.therasphere.com.

SOURCE BTG Plc