DMAA Honors Three Leaders in Quality Care for the Chronically Ill

Sept. 22, 2009 - PRLog -- SAN DIEGO--During a special session today at its 11th annual meeting, DMAA: The Care Continuum Alliance honored three leaders in population health management for exceptional contributions to health care quality.

DMAA presented Quality Impact Awards during a morning session that featured opening remarks, delivered through video, from Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality Director Carolyn M. Clancy, MD. She noted the importance of care coordination to improving quality and she recognized the contributions of the award recipients.

"DMAA: The Care Continuum Alliance shares our commitment to improving population health and health care quality through evidence-based prevention, wellness and chronic disease management programs," Dr. Clancy said. "Measuring and improving quality are integral elements of the organization's population health management model.... And measuring and improving quality are integral components of just about everything that we do."

The new Quality Impact Awards program, which DMAA unveiled with a single award at its November 2008 annual meeting, comprised three honors this year: Greatest Impact on Satisfaction, Greatest Impact on Health and Most Innovative Program Design or Delivery. The awards come as part of a broader DMAA quality initiative that includes research, Web resources and partnerships with other quality stakeholders.

"Wellness, prevention and population health management are largely about improving care quality and satisfaction for participants and their providers," said DMAA President and CEO Tracey Moorhead. "These awards recognize outstanding achievements toward that goal by three population health industry leaders."

Quality Impact Award winners included:

* Greatest Impact on Health: Alere Complex Case Management Program

Alere provides onsite assessment by a community-based registered nurse care manager and support from a multidisciplinary team to promote healthful behavior change. The program reported a 38 percent decrease in hospital admissions, a 36 percent reduction in hospital days, a 30 percent reduction in emergency department visits and more than an $18,000 decrease in average 18-month utilization in a study of health plan members for an Alere client in the program. The study appeared in the February 2007 American Journal of Managed Care.

"We are very pleased to be honored by DMAA," said Jeanne Clement, RN, MPH, Senior Vice President, Quality and Clinical Integrity, Alere. "This award demonstrates the commitment of the multidisciplinary Alere Complex Case Management team to implementing a quality health management program and demonstrating sound clinical and financial results for our clients."

"Alere is committed to sharing innovative care practices and providing personal health support through our patient advocate model of care management, which involves extensive patient and family education, care coordination, proactive symptom management and end-of-life care planning," said Albert Holt IV, MD, MBA, Senior Vice President and Senior Medical Director for Alere.

* Greatest Impact on Satisfaction: Independence Blue Cross

IBC collaborated with Health Dialog on the Connections Health Management Program in 2003 to assist members in gaining the skills and knowledge needed to become active health care consumers, improve outcomes and make informed care decisions. Satisfaction results have exceeded targets for five consecutive years, indicating positive and sustainable outcomes.

"We are honored and pleased with DMAA's recognition of our members' ongoing satisfaction with our disease management programs, because improving our members' health is at the core of our business," said Esther J. Nash, MD, FACP, Senior Medical Director, Population Health and Wellness, Independence Blue Cross. "Whether consumers are looking for information from a health coach or support in making health-related decisions, we are here for them every step of the way."

"We are excited and proud to be recognized for our role in helping Independence Blue Cross support its members," said Health Dialog CEO Patrick Flynn. "Providing individuals with the information and support needed to live healthier, happier lives is a privilege, and this award is a great honor."

* Most Innovative Program Design or Delivery: LifeMasters Supported SelfCare, Inc.

LifeMasters' innovative use of the Patient Activation Measure(TM) survey tool as part of an integrated coaching model resulted in a 33 percent decline in hospital admissions and a 22 percent decline in emergency visits. This translates into a savings of $145 per participant per month in hospital admissions and $11 per participant per month savings in emergency visits.

"Through this research, LifeMasters demonstrated that coaching tailored to an individual's level of activation resulted in improved clinical outcomes and lower health care costs in a population," said Mary Jane Osmick, MD, Vice President and Medical Director. "Coaching that is designed to improve knowledge, skills and confidence in a population appears to drive the behaviors critical to better health. We are so pleased that DMAA has recognized LifeMasters' efforts in researching and implementing activation as a program focus and are hopeful that activation will become an important measure of program efficacy for the population health industry."

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DMAA: The Care Continuum Alliance represents more than 200 organizations and individuals and convenes all stakeholders along the care continuum toward population health improvement.