Press Release

Manasquan, N.J., USA, August 25, 2005 – Several studies have highlighted trust as a prerequisite in patients’ compliance with treatment regimens. Though some doctors provide top-quality individualized services, their jam-packed schedules may inherently limit their attentiveness. Now, healthcare organizations are using health coaches to provide patients with the consistent, specialized attention they need to successfully move forward with their treatment plans.

Healthcare professionals are using this novel approach to meet patients’ individualized needs on a personal and reliable basis. “The Role of Health Coaches in Disease and Care Management,” a March 23, 2005 audio conference on CD-ROM sponsored by the Healthcare Intelligence Network (HIN), explores how health plans are using health coaches to provide personalized direct support in care and disease management. During this 90-minute audio conference on CD-ROM, expert panelists discuss health coach programs within their organizations, providing details from coach background to member interaction. For more information, please visit the HIN bookstore.

“The concept of health coaching begins with the philosophy that we are teaching people how to fish,” said Danielle Butin, director, health services, Oxford Health Plans, who presented at the conference. “We are going to teach the tools and tricks an individual needs to develop confidence in a new script in life and move forward.”

Joining Ms. Butin at the conference were Kerry Little, senior health coach, Duke University Medical Center and Roger Reed, executive vice president, chief health officer, Gordian Health Solutions. These experts offer detailed accounts of how their organizations have structured health coach programs to achieve patient satisfaction and maximal outcomes. They emphasize:

• Reviewing background and training of health coaches;
• Setting up a health coaching program (build vs. buy);
• Devising motivational techniques for health coaches;
• Keeping patients in the program;
• Creating a collaborative approach with patients, primary care providers and health coaches;
• Providing a good mix of educational materials -- online, paper and phone; and
• Assessing the impact of a health coaching program.

“In traditional healthcare, workers are inundated with an enormously fast pace of care and don’t have time to give patients the kind of care they would like,” said Ms. Butin. “Many coaches say (health coach) programs reflect the reason they went into medicine in the first place.”

Multiple factors potentially compromise physician-patient communication. Language barriers generate cultural disparities; time pressures shorten information sessions; questions remain unanswered because patients may feel too intimidated, unimportant or proud to expose their misunderstandings. All these challenge the physician-patient relationship to an extent that can jeopardize treatment outcomes.

This 90-minute audio conference on CD-ROM is designed to benefit key health plan executives medical directors, disease management directors, strategic planning and business developers, care management nurses, managers and coordinators. Also included on the CD-ROM are detailed outlines of the panelists’ presentations and a live question-and-answer session in which participants gain further insight from the speakers’ vast experience. For more details on related products and upcoming audio conferences, visit the HIN bookstore.

About the Healthcare Intelligence Network---HIN is the premier advisory service for executives seeking high-quality strategic information on the business of healthcare. For more information, contact the Healthcare Intelligence Network, PO Box 1442, Wall Township, NJ 07719-1442, (888) 446-3530, fax (732) 292-3073, e-mail info@hin.com, or visit http://www.hin.com.

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