| AMERICAN TELECARE® TO PROVIDE TELEHEALTH TECHNOLOGY FOR REVOLUTIONARY INITIATIVE LED BY UPMC HEALTH PLAN AND UPMC/JEFFERSON REGIONAL HOME HEALTH LP
Eden Prairie, MN. (November 2006) – UPMC Health Plan is launching a revolutionary telehealth initiative led by UPMC/Jefferson Regional Home Health LP. This new program will provide health care insurance coverage for the use of telepath monitors by UPMC Health Plan members who have heart failure. The monitors are designed to help keep these patients healthier and their heart conditions more stable while they remain in their homes.
UPMC Health Plan is the first Western Pennsylvania health insurer to provide coverage for home tele-monitoring systems. The monitors can be used by members to record their weight, blood oxygen levels, and blood pressure at home. The information is transmitted to nurses at UPMC/Jefferson Regional Home Health. Some of the devices have special video monitors, which enable nurses at UPMC/Jefferson Regional Home Health to make remote real-time “video visits” with members at home, helping to keep those most in need more stable.
“Using these monitors will help our members to modify their behaviors,” said Diane P. Holder, president of UPMC Health Plan. “The monitors will be able to detect subtle changes in weight and blood pressure and alert nurses to possible problems so care can be provided before their condition deteriorates. The use of monitors can help people improve clinically and may reduce a need for hospitalization or an emergency room visit.”
The monitors, which are produced by American TeleCare, connect patients with clinicians using ordinary telephone lines. The monitors are designated to maximize ease of use for all patients, including those with arthritis, reading difficulties, and sight limitations.
The monitors allow nurses to prevent deterioration of the patient’s condition by providing early intervention based on transmitted data. The monitors also allow nurses to educate patients regarding symptoms that may be precursors to further complications or exacerbation of disease. Pre-programmed disease-specific questions assist the clinicians in obtaining additional information regarding patient status.
According to American TeleCare, test programs around the nation with the telemonitors (known as the “in-LifeTMXP Patient Monitor”) have been shown to reduce hospitalization and emergency room utilization by 40% and the video monitors (“known as the Aviva 1010”) have been shown to reduce hospitalization and emergency utilization by 75 to 95 percent.
About UPMC Health Plan
UPMC Health Plan, the second-largest health insurer in Western Pennsylvania, is owned by the University of Pittsburgh Medical Center (UPMC), one of the nation's top-ranked health systems. As part of an integrated health care delivery system, UPMC Health Plan partners with UPMC and community network providers to improve clinical outcomes as well as the health of the greater community. According to the U.S. News & World Report/NCQA’s listing of “America’s Best Health Plans,” UPMC Health Plan is the top-ranked health plan in Pennsylvania and one of the top 10 health plans in the nation. The Health Plan is also the highest-ranked managed care company in the nation for breast cancer screening for the third consecutive year. The integrated partner companies of the UPMC Insurance Services Division – which includes UPMC Health Plan, Work Partners, EAP Solutions, UPMC for You (Medical Assistance), and Community Care Behavioral Health – offer a full range of group health insurance, Medicare, Children's Health Insurance Program, Medical Assistance, behavioral health, employee assistance, and workers' compensation products and services to over 900,000 members. Our local provider network includes UPMC as well as community providers, totaling more than 80 hospitals and more than 7,000 physicians in a 28-county region.
About UPMC/Jefferson Regional Home Health LP
UPMC/Jefferson Regional Home Health is the largest home health agency in Pennsylvania. It was originally created in 2000 as a joint venture, limited partnership, between UPMC Home Health, South Hills Health System Home Health Agency, UPMC Beaver Valley Home Health, and UPMC Horizon Home Health. UPMC/Jefferson Regional Home Health serves patients in 10 counties within Western Pennsylvania and accounts for 30,990 admissions and 386,000 visits annually. The organization, which has administrative offices in Seven Fields, PA employs approximately 500 nurses, therapists, and support staff. UPMC/Jefferson Regional Home Health provides a full spectrum of services, which includes behavioral health, rehabilitation therapies, infusion therapy, oncology, maternal-child, pediatrics, geriatrics, cardiopulmonary, wound care, and telemonitoring. In addition, the organization can provide specialized care through Disease State Management programs in heart failure, diabetes, wound care, bariatrics, and fast-track rehabilitation.
About American TeleCare
American TeleCare (ATI), based in Eden Prairie, MN, an established leader in the telehealth industry since 1993, is dedicated to improving outcomes and patient satisfaction while lowering health care costs. ATI provides technology-enabled patient care management solutions, featuring live audio/video/data communication and integrated medical peripherals. ATI’s telehealth solutions enable remote, real-time clinical interactions resulting in increased efficiency in patient care delivery, improved outcomes, and increased patient and clinical satisfaction while lowering costs. For more information, visit www.americantelecare.com or call 800.323.6667.
|
