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Kaiser Permanente, Leader in Online Health Care, Participating in Medicare Study

Posted on: Monday, 18 June 2007, 18:11 CDT

OAKLAND, Calif., June 18 /PRNewswire/ -- Kaiser Permanente today announced it is partnering with the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) in a project that will help inform Medicare beneficiaries about the benefits of using online health tools to manage their health.

The pilot project, set to begin June 18, will promote the use of online personal health records (PHRs) to Medicare patients, as well as reporting on the use of such tools.

Kaiser Permanente is a leader in online personal health management services. The organization's online health management tools, available under "Your Health Record," include lab test results, prescription refills, eligibility/benefits, past office visit summaries, allergy and immunization information and access for parents to their children's records. Already, over one million Kaiser Permanente members have accessed "Your Health Record" online at its Web site, kp.org.

"Kaiser Permanente provides its members online access to their medical records as part of its focus on patient-centered care," said Andrew M. Wiesenthal, MD, SM, associate executive director of The Permanente Federation, the national organization of the Permanente Medical Groups. "Our personal health manager is more powerful than standalone PHRs because it is linked directly to KP HealthConnect(TM), our electronic health record. Specific personal health information and tools enable our members to proactively manage their health."

Also, Kaiser Permanente members can e-mail their doctor and schedule appointments online. Currently, the organization has more than 1.4 million members connected online, more than any other integrated health system in the world.

"Our online services help patients get better access to their health information, while making it more convenient for those who would rather not leave work or home to manage their health," says Kate Christensen, MD, medical director for kp.org. "In the KP system, a patient can view her cholesterol test online, talk with her doctor by e-mail about the result and treatment plan, and then join an online nutrition program. The goal is to help people become healthier, not just view a record."

Just over 880,000 Kaiser Permanente members are Medicare beneficiaries. They can now access their personal health information by activating their account on kp.org and accessing "Your Health Record".

About Kaiser Permanente

Kaiser Permanente is America's leading integrated health plan. Founded in 1945, it is a not-for-profit, group practice program headquartered in Oakland, Calif. Kaiser Permanente serves more than 8.7 million members in nine states and the District of Columbia. Today it encompasses the not-for-profit Kaiser Foundation Health Plan, Inc., Kaiser Foundation Hospitals and their subsidiaries, and the for-profit Permanente Medical Groups. Nationwide, Kaiser Permanente includes approximately 156,000 technical, administrative and clerical employees and caregivers, and more than 13,000 physicians representing all specialties.

http://www.kaiserpermanente.org/

Kaiser Permanente

CONTACT: Susannah Patton of Kaiser Permanente, +1-510-271-5826,Susannah.F.Patton@kp.org

Web site: http://www.kaiserpermanente.org/

Source: PRNewswire

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