Gastrointestinal (GI) issues affect 40 percent of people every day. Not only that, but GI-related issues account for 8.3 million ER visits annually, making them the number one reason for visiting the emergency room, and they cost the U.S. healthcare system $136 billion annually.
Cylinder, a virtual digestive health provider, was founded in 2021 with the mission to revolutionize digital health, gut first, CEO and founder Bill Synder told VatorNews.
“It was always a passion area for me because I had seen the toll that digestive health conditions take on people from physical, emotional, and mental perspectives. I knew that this was a big problem that needed an innovative solution to ensure that people are getting the right care at the right time. Since then, we’ve built an incredible solution,” said Synder.
Now the company will get closer to its goal of delivering more personalized digestive care and improving clinical outcomes with the acquisition of Dieta Health, creator of a clinically validated AI-powered stool imaging app. No financial terms of the deal were disclosed.
Founded in 2018, Dieta Health’s mobile app allows patients to capture stool photos via smartphone, then classifies the stool with five clinically-validated data points. This is in contrast to how it’s traditionally been done, with patients beingasked to observe their stool and report subjective outcomes, like the Bristol Stool Scale, which influences diagnosis and treatment decisions.
Dieta currently has hundreds of thousands of stool images associated with a diverse set of diagnoses and clinical contexts on individuals and the technology has outperformed traditional patient-reported outcomes and has been validated through four peer-reviewed studies, including research from Cedars-Sinai and Mayo Clinic.
Cylinder, meanwhile, delivers personalized, clinician-backed care through its virtual health platform to those suffering from a number of different digestive issues. The system flags critical shifts in bowel patterns, such as the presence of blood, so the care team can act before complications escalate.
“Digestive health is a very personal, and oftentimes stigmatized, topic which can have profound effects on an individual’s overall health and wellbeing. At Cylinder, we put our members, and their guts, first. Cylinder’s tech-forward, human-first program connects members to the right level of support at the right time through an easy interface, bringing the health care ecosystem together to align around member needs,” said Synder.
“We differentiate ourselves by offering an inclusive member-first approach integrating human-led care and digital activities.”
Cylinder deploys a B2B2C model, meaning that it sells to large self-funded employers and to health plans, with customers that include Texas A&M University and US Foods, where it has showcased up to 5:1 ROI.
“We are seeing for a lot of our clients that digestive health is one of the top spend areas, and is often the number one or number two reasons for ED admissions. We are able to help people get the appropriate care to avoid these costly ED visits,” said Snyder.
Adding Dieta to the Cylinder platform will mean more AI-driven insights across multiple conditions, as well as greater personalization for patients navigating digestive disease management, and enhanced support for clinicians looking to make faster, more precise diagnostic and treatment decisions, said Snyder.
“We first crossed paths in conversations about how AI could not only streamline healthcare but truly personalize it, making it easier for patients to navigate their health journeys. What became clear was that together, we could do something even more powerful: combine our capabilities to create a smarter, more holistic approach to AI-driven diagnostics and care,” he explained.
Going forward, Dieta Health’s founder and CEO, Asaf Kraus, along with three key team members, will be joining the team at Cylinder, where they will continue driving their clinical trial commitment and integrating Dieta’s AI into the core Cylinder platform.
“We are in the process of integrating Dieta into our existing Cylinder solution to improve the care that members ultimately receive,” said Snyder. “Asaf will continue to be involved with the integration of Dieta, including the execution of the clinical trials with leading health systems, and the continued development of AI within Cylinder’s overarching platform.”
Ultimately, the goal at Cylinder is to make a difference in the millions of Americans who suffer with GI issues daily. By acquiring Dieta, and adding AI into Cylinder’s platform, it will allow for faster, more accurate insights into GI conditions, enabling earlier diagnoses, and tailored treatment plans.
“Looking ahead, we’re excited to share some major developments over the next six months, including new peer-reviewed research, significant partner expansions, and cutting-edge product enhancements,” said Snyder.
“We’ve served over 100K members in all 50 states. It’s been an honor to be able to improve the lives of the members we serve and generate incredible outcomes for our patients and for our partners.”
(Image source: cylinderhealth.com)
