• E-mail
• Print
• Comment
• Font Size
• Digg
• del.icio.us
• Discuss article

Catholic Health System Home Care Selects McKesson's Advanced Remote Monitoring Solution to Reshape Homecare Delivery

Posted on: Tuesday, 24 October 2006, 12:01 CDT

In a major step to enhance its service outreach, Catholic Health System Home Care (CHS Home Care) of Buffalo, N.Y., recently selected McKesson's Telehealth Advisor(TM) advanced remote monitoring and disease management system to provide telemonitoring services for its home care patients. As one of the largest homecare providers in Western New York, CHS Home Care employs more than 400 associates who care for thousands of patients daily in a variety of settings. By partnering with McKesson for telehealth capabilities, CHS Home Care's goal is to achieve coordinated clinical care across settings and programs by enabling daily connection with chronic disease patients outside the scope of traditional homecare.

"Home health has traditionally focused on treating symptoms," said Mark A. Sullivan, CHCE, president and chief executive officer of Catholic Health System's Home Care Division. "Traditional homecare visits will always be the foundation of CHS's care delivery, but increased instances of chronic illness in a rapidly aging population make it imperative that we focus on prevention and wellness. McKesson's Telehealth Advisor is the only system with the depth of disease management content, including NCQA-certified programs, and the level of integration that the current and future healthcare environment demands."

McKesson's Telehealth Advisor solution consists of three components: disease management programs, Health Buddy(R) appliance (from Health Hero Network, Inc.) and a monitoring application for use by the homecare agency. The system is designed to reduce patient re-hospitalizations by monitoring conditions and modifying behaviors through targeted education and feedback. The remote technology enables homecare agencies to collect patients' vital signs, such as weight, blood pressure and blood sugar levels, via an easy-to-use electronic device in the home and then transmit this data to the agency's office.

CHS had a successful pilot over the last year with local HMOs and plans to enhance its service to include broader disease management by now utilizing McKesson Telehealth Advisor. Each patient will receive a Health Buddy(R) in-home monitoring appliance. Patients will respond daily to McKesson Telehealth Advisor's diagnosis-specific disease management education content. CHS also anticipates that the telehealth technology will be an effective adjunct to its chaplains and spiritual counselors for patients who live alone and are more susceptible to depression and loneliness. The selection of Telehealth Advisor builds upon CHS's investment in McKesson's Horizon Homecare(TM) information solution. The seamless integration between the two systems streamlines data gathering and collection and ultimately supports better care coordination and patient outcomes. All patient clinical data collected by McKesson Telehealth Advisor flows to the electronic medical record held in the Horizon Homecare system, where it becomes available to the entire care team.

"CHS Home Care has a track record for success in the innovative use of technology, and we are excited to expand our partnership," said Craig Frazier, McKesson's vice president and general manager of Extended Care Solutions. "Working closely with homecare industry thought leaders like CHS helps us to stay on top of emerging issues and better anticipate our customer's needs."

Telehealth Advisor is a key component of McKesson's consumer and personal health offerings. In addition to Telehealth Advisor, McKesson's consumer solutions include online physician consultation services, Web portal technology, triage software and personal emergency response systems, to name a few. These solutions serve the growing market for interactive technologies that empower consumers through secure electronic access to healthcare providers, personal health records, healthcare financial management systems and other tools.

About Catholic Health Systems Home Care

Formed in 1998, the Catholic Health System is one of the two largest healthcare providers in Western New York. The organization's more than 8,000 associates and 1,200 physicians care for hundreds of thousands of patients through home healthcare, acute care, long-term and sub-acute care, adult homes, counseling, social service and behavioral health programs. Home Care services encompass several divisions that provide: skilled nursing care, rehabilitation services, private duty nurses, home healthcare aide services, spiritual care, medical equipment services, a personal emergency response system (Lifeline(TM)) and in-home meals. For more information: www.chsbuffalo.org

About McKesson

McKesson Corporation, currently ranked 16th on the FORTUNE 500, is a healthcare services and information technology company dedicated to helping its customers deliver high-quality healthcare by reducing costs, streamlining processes, and improving the quality and safety of patient care. Over the course of its 173-year history, McKesson has grown by providing pharmaceutical and medical-surgical supply management across the spectrum of care; healthcare information technology for hospitals, physicians, homecare, and payors; hospital and retail pharmacy automation; and services for manufacturers and payors designed to improve outcomes for patients. For more information: http://mpt.mckesson.com.

 Robin Wrinn (404) 338-4249 Contact via http://www.marketwire.com/mw/emailprcntct?id=20A1AC17D644EC1E  

SOURCE: McKesson Provider Technologies

Source: MARKET WIRE

More News in this Category