July 9, 2001

PATIENTS WOULD USE E-MAIL TO COMMUNICATE WITH PHYSICIANS 

"E-mail Communications in Family Practice -- What Do Patients Expect?"
The Journal of Family Practice, May 2001

AREAS OF REPORTED INTEREST AMONG PATIENTS WITH E-MAIL ACCESS

Communication with MD...... 89.9%
Request prescription refills... 86.7
Consult a nurse. ................. 83.6
Obtain lab/test reports......... 81.2
Make/cancel appointments.. 77.6

Regardless of sex or race, patients have high expectations that these tasks can be completed within a relatively short time.

PHARMACEUTICAL TREND STUDIES FROM EXPRESS SCRIPTS

"2000 Drug Trend Report"
Express Scripts, June 2000

A 150-page report examining pharmaceutical utilization and spending trends.

THE BOTTOM LINE: Per member per year (PMPY) Average Wholesale Price (AWP) ingredient costs rose by 16.2% in 2000. This marks the first time since Express Scripts began monitoring drug cost trends in 1993 that the annual rate of PMPY drug cost increase slowed from the previous year. Over the next five years, it is projected that PMPY drug costs will increase by 81%.

"Atlas of Prescription Drug Utilization for the United States"
June 19, 2001

The authors found substantial variation in the number of prescriptions per member per year across the states for adults even after adjusting for differences in age and gender. For example, for medications used to treat ADHD, "we observed a 3.3 fold variation in the annual prevalence of use across states". (Note: Similar analyses for other health care services are available in the Dartmouth Atlas of Health Care.

To see both studies click here.

REMOTE MONITORING TECHNOLOGIES GAIN TRACTION

"High-Tech Solutions Can Improve Patient Monitoring"
ACP-ASIM Observer, July 2001

"Emerging Trends in Medical Device Technology: Home Is Where the Heart Monitor Is"
FDA Consumer Magazine, May-June 2001

"Health Technology Is Coming Home (And How!)"
FDA Consumer Magazine, May-June 2001

Highmark Wisely Offers Wireless Wellness
Forrester Research, June 2001

CorSolutions Chooses Life Navigator for Remote Biometric Monitoring Applications (click here for second article). 

DIABETIC PATIENTS PREFER AUTOMATED BLOOD GLUCOSE MONITORING -- BUT, CAN IT MAKE A DIFFERENCE?

"Use of an Automated Device for Alternative Site Blood Glucose Monitoring"
Diabetes Care, July 2001

CONCLUSIONS: The automated device is easy to use and provides accurate glucose results; 97% of the patients found it less painful than finger-stick testing.

"Frequency of Blood Glucose Monitoring in Relation to Glycemic Control in Patients With Type 2 Diabetes"
Diabetes Care, June 2001

CONCLUSIONS: Within diabetes therapy categories, the frequency of self-monitoring was not related to glycemic control, as measured by HbA1c level.

A PROVOCATIVE DEBATE -- DOES CONTINUITY OF CARE MATTER?

Western Journal of Medicine, July 2001

"Yes: Consistent Contact With A Physician Improves Outcomes"
Dimitri A. Christakis, MD

"No: Discontinuity Can Improve Patient Care"
Robert M Wachter, MD

FORTUNE 500 HEALTH CARE PURCHASING EXAMINED

"Corporate Health Care Purchasing Among The Fortune 500"
National Health Care Purchasing Institute, May 2001

Study highlights include:

Most companies are now engaging in aggressive negotiations with health carriers and competitive bidding practices (60% of firms re-bid all or almost all of their business in the past five years).

Employers are now concerned that gains from the migration to managed care have been exhausted. Three factors were found to be associated with lower premiums:

1) Larger number of employees

2) Greater HMO/POS enrollment

3) Reliance on a regional purchasing strategy

LATEST HMO REPORT CARDS HIT THE NEWSSTAND

"Guide to California Medicare HMOs: All Medicare HMOs Are NOT Alike"
California Healthcare Foundation and Consumer Reports, Summer 2001

"Measuring the Quality of Pennsylvania's Commercial HMOs"
Pennsylvania Health Care Cost Containment Council, June 2001

"New York State HMO Report Card"
New York State Health Accountability Foundation, Summer 2001

Disclosure -- Life Navigator is a client of Better Health Technologies.

E-Care Management News is an e-newsletter that tracks a major change in health care and managed care—the paradigm shift from “managing cost” to “managing care”.  This e-newsletter is brought to you by Better Health Technologies, LLC (http://www.bhtinfo.com).  BHT provides consulting and business development services relating to disease management, demand management, and patient health information technologies.

You may copy, reprint or forward this newsletter to friends, colleagues or customers, as long as the use is not for resale or profit and the following copyright notice is included intact. Copyright © 2001, Better Health Technologies, LLC. All rights reserved.