Menzis kicks off Changing Health pilot in the Netherlands

In April, Menzis initiated a pilot of Changing Health’s lifestyle programme, the first of its kind in the Netherlands. The pilot will include 300 customers and will focus on weight loss. Upon registration, participants are able to use Changing Health’s application to set up a personal healthcare plan.

In the United Kingdom, Changing Health’s lifestyle programmes have shown resounding results, with overweight patients achieving lasting health improvements. These results motivated a move to other European countries in order to increase the reach of the programme’s benefits. With Menzis, the logical partner for an entry into the Dutch market was found.

Menzis as an international partner

The partnership between Changing Health and Menzis was established during 2019. By the end of the year, preparations for a pilot project started. “The cooperation made a lot of sense as Menzis has close links with SHIFT Invest and has been enthusiastic about the affordable lifestyle change programmes of Changing Health since the date of SHIFT’s investment in the company.”, says Florentine Fockema, investment partner at SHIFT Invest. “Moreover, both parties realised the merit of coordinated distribution within the Netherlands, a country with a large secondary healthcare network. Through the scale of Menzis, Changing Health is able to effectively set up a local pilot programme and scale the offering further following successful results.”

Preventive approach

Via digital lifestyle intervention for at-risk people, Changing Health prevents, manages and even reverses cases of Type-2 diabetes at a large scale. The personalised programmes are based on robust clinical research and demonstrate the evidence-based approach Changing Health upholds. Moreover, the programme includes the option of connecting with a personal coach via digital and telecoaching who will guide a patient along the way. This way, a patient is encouraged to achieve sustainable results lasting beyond the duration of the programme.

About Changing Health

Changing Health is led by Mike Trenell and his team who are dedicated to improving the lives of as many people as possible. In December 2018, Changing Health received a £3m investment from SHIFT Invest, with Tate & Lyle Ventures and the Northstar Ventures as co-investors. The entry into the Dutch market marks the first point of international expansion for Changing Health, with Switzerland to follow very soon in 2020.