ANN ARBOR, Mich., Sept. 17 /PRNewswire/ — HealthMedia, Inc., the pioneer in applying advanced technology to emulate a health coaching session via the web — without the coach — for wellness, disease management, behavioral health, medication adherence, and aging well has released the latest data from the HealthMedia(R) Overcoming(TM) Insomnia program. Overcoming Insomnia, a scalable, low-cost solution to a condition that costs health plans and employers an estimated $100 billion annually, helps individuals change negative thoughts and behaviors that interfere with sleep, develop healthy sleep habits, and improve the quality of sleep. The company’s latest user outcome data shows:
-- A productivity savings of $2,235/year per participant -- 90 percent are satisfied with the program (rating it good, very good or excellent) -- 70 percent found it easier to stay asleep during the night after 90 days -- 63 percent experienced improvement in overall quality of sleep after 30 days
A recent initiative with customers resulted in a 40 percent increase in program participation in just two months. With its data, the company is formulating a profile of a typical program user that employers and health plans can use to reach out to their populations. Initial data shows that the typical user works full time, has experienced insomnia for over a year, sleeps an average of six hours per night, and is motivated to manage his/her insomnia. Users of the Overcoming Insomnia program reported experiencing the following results:
-- 36 percent reduction in difficulty falling asleep -- 35 percent decrease in difficulty staying asleep -- 31 percent increase in confidence to manage insomnia -- 30 minute increase in average nightly sleep time -- 27 percent reduction in fatigue levels -- 18 percent reduction in anxiety
“Outcomes data and user feedback for this product are beyond impressive,” said HealthMedia President and CEO Ted Dacko. “They show an average productivity savings of more than $2,235 per user, per year.”
A recent case study conducted by a major U.S. corporation with over 30,000 employees proves that a computer-based cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) solution can be an effective, efficient, and inexpensive way to treat insomnia. The study revealed that 30 percent of employees were getting six hours of sleep or less per night, had an average productivity impairment of more than 23 percent, and were responsible for a $9.4 million company loss in productivity — all due to insomnia. After taking the HealthMedia online program, productivity impairment in users dropped nearly seven percentage points. This improvement equates to productivity savings of more than $3,250 per employee, per year.
“About 44 percent of U.S. adults are not getting enough sleep, and many of our members are in that group,” said Donald R. Fischer, MD, senior vice president and chief medical officer at Highmark Inc. “Getting adequate sleep is a big factor in their work day and overall health. On average, people who are chronically tired are at risk for health problems such as obesity, depression, and risky behaviors such as smoking, drinking and physical inactivity. We are pleased that our members are participating in HealthMedia’s Overcoming Insomnia program and having a greater hand in their health.”
Despite the pervasive nature of the problem, 90 percent of those who suffer from insomnia receive no medical treatment. In a new Consumer Reports survey released last week, 44 percent of respondents say they aren’t sleeping at night and according to the National Institutes of Health, as many as 70 million Americans may be dealing with sleep problems.
HealthMedia(R) Overcoming(TM) Insomnia is an individually tailored CBT program that includes sleep scheduling, stimulus control, changing negative sleep thoughts, and changes in lifestyle. In spite of its effectiveness, CBT is often unavailable to consumers due to the small number of professionals trained in the approach.
Studies have shown that that those who suffer from insomnia: -- Are responsible for $2,800 in higher direct-per patient costs -- Are hospitalized at twice the rate of good sleepers -- Lead to an additional $13.8 billion of primary care visits -- Miss work twice as often -- Have a significantly higher rate of work-related accidents, and have 2.5 times more serious work errors
Until now, medication has been the most frequent treatment of choice for insomnia, and carries a national annual price tag of $2.1 billion for prescriptions and $376 million for over-the-counter sleep aids.
“Medication treats the symptom, not the cause, and because of an increased awareness of potential medication side affects and dependence; market demand is growing for safer treatment options that can address condition contributors like behavior and co-morbid chronic health problems,” said Dacko.
About HealthMedia, Inc.
HealthMedia, Inc. is the world’s innovator in combining advanced technology and behavioral science to effectively emulate a health coach via the web. HealthMedia applies its revolutionary Fusion(TM) technology to address the five most problematic pain points facing the health industry today: participation, scalability, cost, efficacy, and return on investment. HealthMedia’s suite of interventions provides automated web-based coaching for wellness, disease management, behavioral health, and medication adherence with proven outcomes, increased compliance, reduced medical utilization, and increased productivity — boosting profitability for health plans, employers, pharmaceutical companies, and behavioral health organizations. Clients include Community First Health Plans, Daiichi Sankyo, Fresh & Easy Neighborhood Market, Inc., Johnson & Johnson, Kaiser Permanente, GlaxoSmithKline and nine Blue Cross Blue Shield organizations across the United States. HealthMedia partners include APS Healthcare, Corphealth, Health Dialog, RedBrick Health Corporation, SHPS, StayWell Custom Communications, and Wellsource. For more information, visit http://www.healthmedia.com/
Available Topic Expert(s): For information on the listed expert(s), click appropriate link. Ted Dacko http://profnet.prnewswire.com/Subscriber/ExpertProfile.aspx?ei=78153
HealthMedia, Inc.
CONTACT: Caren Kenney of HealthMedia, Inc., +1-508-942-4407,[email protected]
Web site: http://www.healthmedia.com/
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