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Kettering Health Network, Anthem Blue Cross and Blue Shield and CentriHealth Launch Ohio's First Individual Health Record

Posted on: Tuesday, 12 June 2007, 10:53 CDT

KETTERING, Ohio, June 12 /PRNewswire/ -- Kettering Health Network (KHN), Anthem Blue Cross and Blue Shield (Anthem) and CentriHealth announced today at a local press conference the launch of the Dayton IHR pilot program. The Dayton IHR (Individual Health Record) is an innovative tool that will provide patients with an interactive health record that is automatically updated by both Anthem claims data and KHN medical staff. The pilot includes approximately 4,300 KHN employees and dependents covered under their Anthem health plan, and follows a successful pilot with a smaller group of participants.

Unlike previous online medical records, the Dayton IHR has the unique ability to combine a patient's health information from many different sources and present that information to patients, doctors and other health care professionals in an easy-to-use, easy-to-understand format that helps all health participants make efficient, appropriate decisions about their care options. At the same time, only the patient and the physicians granted access by the patient can look at the information within the IHR.

"The IHR allows us to better manage our patients' health and control costs through a team approach to data sharing," said Frank Perez, president and CEO of Kettering Health Network. "This tool allows strong coordination among doctors and gives our patients access to information they can use to manage their own health."

The IHR combines the features of a patient-populated Personal Health Record with the information from an Electronic Medical Record, including physician notes, pharmacy data and lab results. With this information being made available to all parties involved in the care of a patient, including both inside the Kettering Health System and throughout the Anthem network, patients will benefit from a highly coordinated virtual care team. The IHR is easy to navigate, with red lights signaling health issues which may need immediate attention, yellow lights for items that require monitoring, and green lights for health items in good standing.

"Together, we've created a simple and effective tool that has the potential to help people stay healthier, get more effective care when they need it, and thereby avoid unnecessary health care costs," said Dr. Anthony Nowlan, Chief Medical Officer, CentriHealth. "With Anthem Blue Cross and Blue Shield and Kettering Health Network, we have developed a way for people and their doctors to easily keep track of their health, any conditions they may have, their medications, consultations, and other important health information. The IHR will improve communication and help cut down on redundant or unsafe care."

Beyond the benefit of preventative measures, the IHR can help ensure good health by avoiding bad drug interaction because physicians can definitively know what another physician has prescribed -- it is not left to a patient's memory. In addition to the cost savings by avoiding complications, and helping to improve patients' chronic conditions like heart disease and diabetes, money can be saved by avoiding the duplication of tests.

"It is extremely important for people to utilize the IHR," said Dr. Charles Kennedy, Vice President of Health Information Technology for Anthem Blue Cross and Blue Shield. "If we are able to tap the potential of this wonderful tool on a large scale, it will save our country billions of dollars each year."

Anthem Blue Cross and Blue Shield in Ohio is a subsidiary of WellPoint, Inc. WellPoint's mission is to improve the lives of the people it serves and the health of its communities. WellPoint, Inc. is the largest health benefits company in terms of commercial membership in the United States. Through its access to nationwide networks, the company delivers a number of leading health benefit solutions through a broad portfolio of integrated health care plans and related services, along with a wide range of specialty products such as life and disability insurance benefits, pharmacy benefit management, dental, vision, behavioral health benefit services, as well as long term care insurance and flexible spending accounts. Headquartered in Indianapolis, Indiana, WellPoint is an independent licensee of the Blue Cross and Blue Shield Association and serves its members as the Blue Cross licensee for California; the Blue Cross and Blue Shield licensee for Colorado, Connecticut, Georgia, Indiana, Kentucky, Maine, Missouri (excluding 30 counties in the Kansas City area), Nevada, New Hampshire, New York (as Blue Cross Blue Shield in 10 New York City metropolitan and surrounding counties and as Blue Cross or Blue Cross Blue Shield in selected upstate counties only), Ohio, Virginia (excluding the Northern Virginia suburbs of Washington, D.C.), Wisconsin; and through UniCare. Life and disability products are underwritten by Anthem Life Insurance Company, an independent licensee of the Blue Cross and Blue Shield Association. Additional information about WellPoint is available at http://www.wellpoint.com/.

Anthem Blue Cross and Blue Shield

CONTACT: Kevin Lavoie of Kettering Health Network, +1-937-298-3399, ext.47087, Kevin.lavoie@kmcnetwork.org; or Kim Ashley of Anthem Blue Cross andBlue Shield, +1-513-682-8863, Kim.ashley@anthem.com

Web site: http://www.wellpoint.com/

Source: PRNewswire

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