NASHVILLE, Tenn.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Healthways, Inc. (NASDAQ: HWAY) today announced that following the completion of an open tender process, the government of New South Wales has awarded Healthways Australia a two-year contract with two additional one-year options as a provider of telephonic care support to people with severe chronic disease.
The announcement makes Healthways Australia the first supplier of out-sourced telephonic health coaching services for New South Wales’ publically funded Connecting Care Program (Severe Chronic Disease Management Program).
With a population of approximately 7.1 million, almost one in three Australians live in New South Wales. State governments in Australia provide a variety of health services, including acute public hospital services. State governments also provide community and public health services, including maternal and child health, and hospital outreach programs. In 2010 / 2011 the New South Wales State Government is expected to spend A$16.4 billion on health services.
The Connecting Care Program is a statewide initiative that links general practice, specialist medical, acute hospital, and community health services to provide patient-focused and team-based coordinated care for people with complex chronic diseases and who have a high risk of being admitted to a hospital.
Telephonic health coaching is an evidence-based model of care delivered by trained health professionals to influence positive behaviour change, reinforce clinical best practice, and subsequently improve a patient’s health. The service provides guidance, education and support for patients to better understand their condition and reinforce medical and health recommendations. Health coaching is specifically effective at reducing the rate of hospitalisation for patients with chronic disease through improved health outcomes.
New South Wales Health aims to enroll approximately 43,000 individuals with chronic and complex care needs who are at a high risk of being hospitalised, of which it is estimated 36,000 may be suitable for a telephone-based health coaching service.
People eligible for enrollment in the Connecting Care Program, are:
- Adults aged over 18 years or aged over 15 years if they are Aboriginal; and
- Are at high risk of unplanned hospital admissions; and
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Have one of the following five chronic diseases:
- Diabetes;
- Congestive Heart Failure;
- Coronary Artery Disease;
- Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease; and
- Hypertension (High blood pressure).
The health coaching service enables the patients to gain a fuller understanding of their chronic disease, the impact of behaviour on the disease and methods of managing risk factors in a positive way.
Commenting on the contract, Matt Kelliher, president of Healthways International said, “This builds on our established and ongoing successful partnership with Hospitals Contribution Fund in Australia; the country’s 3rd largest private health insurance fund.
“As with HCF, this health coaching program contract means we will be working directly with patients at high risk of hospitalisation to manage their chronic disease more effectively and subsequently slow down the growth in hospital admissions of these patients.
“A recently published study in Population Health Management has shown participants with coronary artery disease, heart failure, diabetes, or chronic obstructive pulmonary disease in our telephonic health coaching program experienced a resulting hospital admission rate that decreased by 6.2% compared with a 14.9% increase in the unsupported group,” Mr. Kelliher said.
“We are looking forward to working with New South Wales Health on this initiative,” said Ben R. Leedle Jr., chief executive officer of Healthways. “This is the first statewide telephonic health coaching program for severe chronic disease on this scale, and we credit the government of New South Wales for their leadership and action in bringing these services to their constituent population.
“This opportunity is significant for Healthways on a number of dimensions:
- As a direct contract with a government entity, this builds on the international success we have had in partnership with the private-side agents of healthcare in a number of countries.
- This contract continues to validate the growth pattern we expect in our International business.
- The service model represented by this contract requires deep integration with hospitals, physicians and other providers and, as such, can serve as an emerging model to be leveraged in the U.S. as health plans, hospitals and physician groups seek to provide highly integrated, value-based solutions.”
Mr. Leedle concluded, “We continue to believe that Healthways remains best positioned to meet the growing global demand for proven, scaled solutions to the increasing incidence and cost of disease and lifestyle health risks.”
About Healthways
Healthways is the leading provider of specialized, comprehensive solutions to help millions of people maintain or improve their health and well-being and, as a result, reduce overall costs. Healthways' solutions are designed to help healthy individuals stay healthy, mitigate or eliminate lifestyle risk factors that can lead to disease and optimize care for those with chronic illness. Our proven, evidence-based programs provide highly specific and personalized interventions for each individual in a population, irrespective of age or health status, and are delivered to consumers by phone, mail, internet and face-to-face interactions, both domestically and internationally. Healthways also provides a national, fully accredited complementary and alternative Health Provider Network and a national Fitness Center Network, offering convenient access to individuals who seek health services outside of, and in conjunction with, the traditional healthcare system. For more information, please visit www.healthways.com.