Healthcare Technology Featured Article

August 02, 2013

Australian Insurer Creates Country's Largest Telemonitoring Program


HCF, the largest private not-for-profit insurer in Australia, has partnered with Healthways and Telstra to roll out the country's largest ever telemonitoring program.

HCF's "My Health Guardian" program currently helps 25,000 Australians manage chronic health conditions. My Health Guardian serves as a 24/7 virtual health coach for patients that have HCF insurance.

My Health Guardian helps patients to assess their health and lifestyles. Then, it delivers simple daily health challenges for which patients can score points. Patients receive daily progress reports on diet, exercise and other concerns. They can also search through a large knowledge base of articles, recipes, exercises and additional resources.

Healthways' Well-Being Plus mobile health app assists My Health Guardian patients as well as other patients whose health plans or employers support Healthways. The app includes tools for patient focus areas, daily action, personal inspiration and rewards. The app includes focus areas, health trackers, daily inspiration and rewards tracking.

HCF's new telemonitoring program will focus on 3,300 My Health Guardian patients with the support of Telstra's Next G mobile network. By using Wi-Fi enabled devices like scales, blood pressure cuffs, glucose monitors and blood oxygen testers, patients can provide real-time health information to nurses that will provide telephone-based support for patients.

"eHealth has the potential to transform healthcare delivery in Australia. Programs such as this, which help Australians better manage their own health, are an important step forward," said Shane Solomon, head of health at Telstra.

In 2012, diabetics participated in a pilot program that paired My Health Guardian with telemonitoring. Overall, HCF says that the patients reported significant health benefits and high rates of satisfaction.

"The win-win cooperation of this partnership has power to drive innovation with expertise in science, technology and population health management strategies, thereby delivering powerful, sustainable and cost-effective solutions," said Ben R. Leedle, Jr., president and CEO of Healthways. "We expect this program to improve participants’ lives and lower medical costs."




Edited by Alisen Downey
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