Abstract
This article describes recent developments in remote patient self-management programmes for care management. An overview of current practices in disease management, care management and quality improvement is provided along with descriptions of enabling technologies including interactive voice response (IVR) and new patient communication and data capture systems. A new technology platform for disease management, case management and performance measurement ‘the Health Hero® online service — is presented and described. The Health Hero® platform features a patient information appliance (the Health Hero® Health Buddy® appliance), a central data centre, and an Internet-based service facilitating the daily activities of patient- and population-based care management, disease management and performance measurement.
Results from preliminary field testing of the Health Hero® online service are presented. These results indicate that compliance (usage) with the Health Hero® online service is consistently above 90% and that patient satisfaction is high. Surveys conducted on the Health Hero® online service indicate the device is easy to set-up and use, and that the likelihood of patients’ continuing to use the Health Hero® online service is high and increases with time (from 80 to 93% over 3 months). Remote patient care management systems, such as the Health Hero® Internet-based communications platform and some IVR systems, facilitate efficient monitoring of patients. They consequently provide a foundation for better outcomes and quality of life for patients and reductions in the cost of healthcare delivery.
Similar content being viewed by others
References
Deloitte and Touche Consulting Group. Care Management Survey, 1996
Gasch A. Health care information technology markets are dynamic, in transition. BBI Newsletter, 1998 Mar
Wulf S, LeVine P. Automated patient monitoring using interactive voice response technology. Health Care Innovat 1997; 20-3
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention [online]. Available from: URL: http://www.cdc.gov/nchswww/fastats/elderly.htm [Accessed 1999 Sep 13]
Somasundaram M. Eldare fare: business sees green as America goes gray. Crain’s Chicago Business. 1998; Nov 16: 13
Guralnik JM, LaCroix AZ, Everett DF, et al. Aging in the eighties: the prevalence of comorbidity and its association with disability (advance data from Vital and Health Statistics of the National Center for Health Statistics, No. 170). Washington, DC: US Department of Health and Human Services, Public Health Service, Centers for Disease Control
National High Blood Pressure Education Program. Working group report on primary prevention of hypertension. Bethesda (MD): National Institutes of Health 1993, Publication 93-2669, 1989 May 26
National Heart, Lung and Blood Institute. Executive summary: guidelines for the diagnosis and management of asthma. Bethesda (MD): National Institutes of Health, 1991. Publication 91-3042A
The Diabetes Control and Complications Trial Research Group. The effect of intensive treatment of diabetes on the development and progression of long-term complications in insulin dependent diabetes mellitus. N Engl J Med 1993; 329: 977–86
Epstein RS, Sherwood LM. From outcomes research to disease management: a guide for the perplexed. Ann Intern Med 1996; 124: 832–7
Ellridt G, Cook D, Lee J, et al. Evidence-based disease management. JAMA 1997; 278: 1687–92
Kibbe D. Disease management: who’s caring for your patients?. Fam Pract Med 1998; Oct: 44-9
Rich MW, Beckham V, Wittenberg C, et al. A multidisciplinary intervention to prevent the readmission of elderly patients with congestive heart failure. N Engl J Med 1995; 333: 1190–5
Katon W, Von Korff M, Lin E. Collaborative management to achieve treatment guidelines: impact on depression in primary care. JAMA 1995; 273: 1026–31
Sidorov J, Christensen M, Girolami S, et al. A successful tobacco cessation program led by primary care nurses in a managed care setting. Am J Manag Care 1997; 3: 207–14
Meyers J. Beyond intervention: data warehousing and the new disease management. Manag Healthcare 1998; 28-34
Ruggerio C, Feaster S, Goodman D. Patient compliance with and acceptance of daily voice response computer entry of information in a congestive heart failure home mon itoring program (online). Available from: URL: http://www.lifemasters.net/Studies/clinical.html [accessed 1999 Sep 13]
LaVigne M, Tapper KA. Interactive voice response in disease management: Providing patient outreach and improving out-comes. Dis Manage Health Outcomes 1998 Jul; 4(1): 1–16
Albisser AM, Harris RI, Sakkal S, et al. Diabetes intervention in the information age. Med Inf 1996; 21: 297–316
Freidman RH, Kasiz LE. A telecommunications system for monitoring and counseling patients with hypertension. Am J Hypertens 1996; 9: 285–92
Alemi F, Stephens R. Automated monitoring of outcomes: applications to treatment of drug abuse. Med Decis Mak 1994; 14: 180–7
Prochaska J, Norcross J, Diclemente C. Changing for good. New York (NY): Avon Books, 1995
SF-36 homepage [online]. Available from: URL: http://www.sf36.com/general/ [Accessed 2000 Feb 2]
Brown SJ, Lieberman DA, Gemeny BA, et al. Educational video game for juvenile diabetes: results of a controlled trial. Med Inf 1997; 22(1): 77–89
Tingen MS, Gramling LF, Bennett G, et al. A pilot study of preadolescents using focus groups to evaluate appeal of a video game smoking prevention strategy. J Addict Nurs 1997; 9(3): 118–24
Nobel JJ, Cherry JC. IT helps manage patients with chronic illness. Managed Care 1999; 20(11): 38–40
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Corresponding author
Rights and permissions
About this article
Cite this article
O’Connell, M.A., Cherry, J.C. The Health Hero® Online Service. Dis-Manage-Health-Outcomes 7, 149–161 (2000). https://doi.org/10.2165/00115677-200007030-00004
Published:
Issue Date:
DOI: https://doi.org/10.2165/00115677-200007030-00004