Reports

Congestive Heart Failure (CHF) Medicaid Project Executive Summary

Study validates use of technology-based remote monitoring platform to reduce healthcare utilization and cost
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Disease Management News

Iowa CHF telemonitoring demo shows good outcomes
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Chronic Disease Management

Breakthrough opportunities for improving the health and productivity of Iowans
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Chronic Diseases

A report on chronic care issues in Iowa as commissioned by the Iowa Department of
Public Health
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Tackling Chronic Problems

DMU-led consortium develops better tools to manage Iowa’s costliest diseases
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Prior Projects

Congestive Heart Failure (CHF) Medicaid Study

A one-year demonstration project was conducted by ICCC, the Iowa Medicaid Enterprise, and Pharos Innovations, a technology company. The demonstration’s key intervention was daily self-monitoring of weight and symptoms that provided an early warning of worsening heart failure. Participants were linked through Pharos Innovations’ Tel-Assurance system, which collected the data and provided them to Iowa Medicaid nursing care coordinators in real time. The demonstration met Iowa Medicaid’s objectives of improving the medical stability of chronically ill members, increasing the number of members with medical homes, reducing avoidable healthcare costs by reducing unnecessary hospitalizations, and providing a program that was well-received by participants. Using data from the Iowa Medicaid claims database, the study reported a 24% reduction in hospital admissions for the participant group, compared to a 22% increase for the control group. For more information regarding this program, read the full report.

Inova Health System Heart Failure Program

The Iowa Chronic Care Consortium recently served as the developmental consultant to the Heart & Vascular Institute of the Inova Health System in northern Virginia for implementation of a heart failure care coordination program based on the model that ICCC used in its CHF demonstration projects in Iowa. Based on the business plan developed by ICCC, Inova made the decision to implement the program, called the Inova HeartLink Tel-Assurance Program, to all six hospitals within their system.

Inova’s flagship hospital, Inova Fairfax, is nationally known for its quality in cardiovascular care. The program is supported entirely by Inova, which believes that the cost savings will more than cover the program expenses. The program is coordinated by the cardiac rehab department at each hospital. Early results of the program are producing strong trends in reduced hospitalizations.

The care coordination program is a combination of telehealth monitoring, as developed by Pharos Innovations, LLC, and supportive follow-up through the staff of the cardiac rehab programs at Inova.

Wellness Coach Training

ICCC recently designed and delivered a wellness coach training program customized for Hy-Vee, a Des Moines-based supermarket chain in the Midwest. Hy-Vee is expanding its brand to focus on healthy lifestyles with a mission of making lives “easier, healthier and happier.” A key strategy includes providing easy access to expert health professionals within stores. Across seven states Hy-Vee currently employs a dietitian in approximately 120 (or half) of their stores. Depending upon the individual store’s needs, the dietitian serves in a variety of roles– as a health and wellness consultant to individual customers, a resource for store employees for health/medical plan guidance, and an expert for local businesses looking for wellness information for their employees. Pharmacists also serve a role as a resource for health and wellness information beyond fulfilling prescription medication.

The purpose of the Hy-Vee Wellness Coach Training Program is to provide customized education that supports and standardizes an approach that dietitians and pharmacists can use to build Hy-Vee’s image as a resource for improving customer and community health and well-being. Skills training focuses on marketing, interpersonal communication and health coaching techniques, as well as the components of effective worksite wellness programs. Participants will learn how to assess their markets (including individuals, employers and community) for overall health risks and health status and develop a plan to utilize Hy-Vee products and resources to meet individual and community health needs. The knowledge and skills acquired in the training can be applied internally for Hy-Vee store employee health/wellness programs and for individual Hy-Vee customer and group programs, and externally as a broker for employer and community wellness programs.

Academy Medical Systems Webinar Series

Three ICCC staff members developed and are delivering, in concert with Karen Lui, BSN, a six-week seminar series in the fall of 2010 titled “Retooling, Reframing and Redefining Cardiopulmonary Rehabilitation.” This series challenges existing cardiopulmonary rehabilitation programs to transform their programs and align with hospital leadership to reduce avoidable hospitalizations and ER utilization for patients with chronic conditions. It delivers information and action steps for leveraging cardiopulmonary rehabilitation services in chronic care and management. As healthcare reform continues to change the landscape of where and how care is delivered, this program provides information about how cardiopulmonary rehabilitation departments and professionals can participate in improving the health status of individuals with multiple chronic conditions post-hospitalization.