Press Release

Manasquan, N.J., USA, March 3, 2006 – Telephonic health coaching offers employers and health plans a confidential and cost-effective means to address health issues across their populations. Reaching out to individuals by phone, health coaches educate, motivate and support clients in their quest to achieve personal health goals—whether it is quitting smoking, managing weight or improving behavioral health. And there’s no disconnect when tallying the estimable impact of telephonic coaching on healthcare outlays.

During Telephonic Health Coaching: How It Can Improve Your Population Health Management Programs, an April 5, 2006 audio conference sponsored by the Healthcare Intelligence Network (HIN), two industry strategists will recount their experiences with telephonic health coaching programs, from program structure to call strategies to outcomes measurement and results. During HIN’s 90-minute live interactive audio conference, Colleen Perkins, health strategies consultant with Mayo Clinic Health Management Resources and Dr. Ron Loeppke, chief strategic officer with Matria Healthcare will provide inside details on the telephonic health coaching programs at their organizations. For more information, please visit the HIN bookstore.

According to Melanie Matthews, HIN executive vice president and chief operating officer, telephonic health coaching fills a void in the healthcare continuum. “Healthcare providers don’t always have time for in-depth discussions of care and treatment, and patients may be too intimidated by the caregiver setting to ask questions or remember instructions.” In contrast, she says, telephonic health coaching reaches patients in the relaxed one-on-one setting of their home or workplace where they may be more receptive to care instructions and suggestions for behavior change. These altered behaviors lead to improved outcomes and reduced healthcare costs, she adds.

During this 90-minute audio conference, presenters will also provide details on:

• Building an effective telephonic health coaching program structure;
• Selecting participants for telephonic health coaching programs;
• Assessing readiness to change over the phone;
• Training health coaches on motivational interviewing over the phone;
• Engaging participants in health coaching programs over the phone;
• Establishing rapport over the phone; and
• Measuring outcomes and program results.

For those who miss the live conference, an on-demand rebroadcast can be accessed beginning April 7, 2006, and a CD-ROM recording with printed transcript will be available in late April. To register and obtain details on audio conference formats, please 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.

###

Contact: Patricia Donovan