New SeniorBridge Virtual Health Care Management Program Tackles Low Health Literacy and Engagement Levels Among Chronically Ill Seniors and Empowers Physicians with Reliable Patient Health Reports
New York - October 5, 2011 - SeniorBridge, a leading national care management and home care company, today announced a collaboration with Virtual Health, a service provider of health and wellness, to offer in-home biometric monitoring and video coaching to chronically ill seniors utilizing a cutting edge platform developed by Care Innovations, a joint venture between Intel Corporation and GE.
The technology-enabled, evidence-based care management service aims to improve the health literacy and outcomes of patients at risk for frequent hospitalization as a result of chronic conditions such as Congestive Heart Failure, Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease, Coronary Artery Disease and Diabetes by empowering them to check their own weight, blood pressure, glucose levels and other vital signs from the comfort of their homes, and transmit the results to SeniorBridge Nurse Care Managers in real-time.
"I've had hypertension for a decade but that's not something I physically see impacting my body," said Selma Farrago, after her daughter, a SeniorBridge Vice President, encouraged her to participate in a pilot of the program. "The act of checking my blood pressure had the unexpected effect of reminding me on a very regular basis to chill out and take care of myself - even when my life feels busier than it ever was."
"Research shows seniors living with chronic conditions need regular coaching and reminders to report changes in their health status and maintain a healthy lifestyle," said Eric C. Rackow, MD, President and CEO at SeniorBridge. "By allowing seniors to reliably check and ask questions about their vital signs from the comfort of their homes, we expect to continue to avert hospitalizations and emergency room visits among the chronically ill while equipping their physicians with timely and reliable insights about their patients' health status so that they can focus on conversations, not logistics."
The SeniorBridge Virtual Health Care Management program builds on SeniorBridge's heritage of helping individuals remain in the home of their choice - even with complex chronic conditions such as Parkinson's disease and Alzheimer's disease - through a comprehensive highly personalized model of care involving home visits by specially trained Nurse and Social Worker Care Managers. The company has reliably shown 80% fewer hospitalizations and 90% fewer emergency room visits among clients as compared to national Medicare data.
"We are thrilled to partner with SeniorBridge as we begin to roll out a series of independent living services with health care coordination as a foundation. This new subscription service, partnered with the leading care management and technology companies, will ultimately empower patients and health providers," said Alex Go, CEO of Virtual Health.
How The SeniorBridge Virtual Health Care Management Service Works:
Individuals answer simple questions about their health and function through the Intel-GE Care Innovations Guide tablet
Actual results of their weight, blood pressure, glucose levels and/or oxygen levels are transmitted to SeniorBridge in real time
SeniorBridge Nurse Care Mangers intervene immediately when problems or concerns are detected
Family caregivers and designated health providers receive reports of health trends and red flags
About SeniorBridge
SeniorBridge is a leading national care management company with an 11-year heritage in helping people cope with the challenges of complex chronic illnesses such as congestive heart failure, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, Parkinson's disease and Alzheimer's disease. The company's 44 offices and national care management network works with families, physicians, hospitals and health plans to address the total well-being of its clients through a comprehensive process of care assessment, planning, coordination and advocacy. The company is headquartered in New York City and benefits from the support of its advisory board of internationally known experts in geriatrics. To learn more visit
www.seniorbridge.com.
Press Contact
Shira Loyer
212-994-6179
sloyer@SeniorBridge.com
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