MINOT -- Trinity Health, a nonprofit and integrated healthcare system that serves northwestern North Dakota and eastern Montana, has entered a partnership with Orexo, a pharmaceutical and digital therapeutics company, to provide digital therapeutics to Trinity Health patients. Trinity Health will now offer Deprexis® and Vorvida® to help patients manage depression and excessive drinking. These web-based treatments use cognitive behavioral therapy techniques to help people make behavior and lifestyle changes. Trinity Health serves over 25 counties and 200,000 people throughout North Dakota and Montana, including many patients in remote areas.
“Trinity Health is at the forefront of tackling two of the toughest health challenges facing millions of Americans who live in smaller communities across the country,” said John M. Kutch, president and CEO of Trinity Health. “Community health systems are often faced with unique challenges that require innovative solutions to make care more accessible to our many patients across a vast geographic area. Digital therapeutics provide evidence-based mental health offerings, which align with our goal of prioritizing accessibility without sacrificing quality of care. There is still tremendous stigma associated with mental health and substance use disorders that prevents many from getting the help that they need. Our new offerings deliver evidence based therapies in a highly private and patient friendly format. With this first-of-its-kind offering, we see Trinity Health becoming a frontrunner among U.S. healthcare systems in making digital therapeutics accessible to patients.”
Notably, North Dakota and Montana are both among the group of states with the highest prevalence of binge drinking, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). Approximately 23% of adults in North Dakota and 20% of adults in Montana reported binge drinking. Additionally, it is estimated that 25% adults in North Dakota and 27% of adults in Montana experienced symptoms of major depressive disorder in July 2022, based on the results of a CDC survey.
During the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic, as many healthcare workers saw a need for increased mental health support, Trinity Health launched a pilot program to make both Deprexis® and Vorvida® available to its staff and their dependents. A forthcoming white paper in the American College of Healthcare Executives (ACHE) journal by Kutch will detail the program’s implementation and successes. Following this successful pilot program, Trinity Health is delighted to now make these programs available to patients.
Deprexis® is a web application for the supplemental treatment of depression or depressive disorders for patients who are experiencing a depressive episode. It is a 90-day online program that can help people create more positive thoughts and behaviors. The program adapts to the responses of users, providing a personalized experience that complements other depression therapies. Similarly, Vorvida® is a private and personalized online program to reduce drinking. It is a 180-day digital program that helps people identify triggers, break negative behaviors and develop healthier responses. As people interact with the program, it adapts to habits, challenges and personal goals to provide an individualized experience.
For more information about Trinity Health please visit, www.trinityhealth.org. More information about Deprexis® and Vorvida® can be found at us.deprexis.com and us.vorvida.com.
