A November, 2010 article in the Population Health Management journal by Hamar et al. reported on “The Impact of a Proactive Chronic Care Management Program on Hospital Admission Rates in a German Health Insurance Society.” The study evaluated patients who suffered from coronary artery disease, heart failure, diabetes, or chronic obstructive pulmonary disease who consented to participate in the chronic care management program administered by Healthways, Inc. in Germany.
The nurses were trained in the Transtheoretical Model of Behavior Change theory and practice. They used software with Pro-Change’s programs that matched the interventions that they offered to the individual patient’s stage of change. Changes in admission rates were calculated from the year prior to and year after program commencement. Overall, the admission rate in the Intervention group decreased by 6.2% compared with a 14.9% increase in the Comparison group. Additionally, the Intervention group admissions decreased as the number of calls increased indicating a dose-response relationship.
These findings indicate that proactive chronic care management calls can help reduce hospital admissions among German health insurance members with chronic diseases. “The Impact of a Proactive Chronic Care Management Program on Hospital Admission Rates in a German Health Insurance Society” is available online at http://www.liebertonline.com/doi/full/10.1089/pop.2010.0032
About Healthways, Inc.
Healthways is the leading provider of specialized, comprehensive solutions to help millions of people maintain or improve their health and well-being and, as a result, reduce overall costs. Healthways’ solutions are designed to keep healthy people healthy, reduce health-related risks and optimize care for those with chronic illness. Healthways’ proven, evidence-based programs provide highly specific and personalized interventions for each individual in a population, irrespective of age or health status, and are delivered to consumers by phone, mail, Internet, and face-to-face interactions, both domestically and internationally. For more information, please visit www.healthways.com.