Whole Health and ChartWare Partner to Eliminate Medical Costs Driven by Health Risks

(EMAILWIRE.COM, January 02, 2007 ) Cleveland -- Computerized health records are playing a crucial role in reducing health care costs in a pioneering pilot project run by Whole Health Management for one of its client companies. “The results so far have been gratifying,” says Dr. Allan Khoury, vice president of clinical operations at Whole Health. Health educators are working with employees at five different locations to decrease health risks, such as blood pressure, smoking, physical inactivity and obesity. “We offer advice and support on losing weight, stopping smoking, exercise, eating better and so on. Addressing reversible health risks is the single best opportunity for employers to reduce health care costs,” Khoury says. “An across-the-board improvement could mean savings of 20 to 25 percent for a company that self-insures or major reductions in premiums for those that don’t.” * The program depends on being able to capture and process the data quickly, accurately and inexpensively. A risk factor flow sheet, with hyperlinks to relevant educational materials, was created by Whole Health and ChartWare, the electronic medical records company of Rohnert Park, California. Khoury says ChartWare has shown the flexibility and ease of use to do the job to the exacting standards Whole Health has set. “The record-keeping part of the project moved at light speed. From our very first contact with ChartWare, until the screens to record the information were up and running, took only eight weeks. Our educators, who had no special expertise in computerized records, needed minimal training because the system is so intuitive.” The pilot program has been running for just over a year and Whole Health is encouraged by the results. “Reduction in costs should follow the elimination of health risks. While that is the most visible benefit, the underlying gain is to the improved overall health of patients, and that can’t be measured in money,” Khoury comments. *Anderson, D.R., Whitmer, R.W., Goetzel, R.Z., et. al, American Journal of Health Promotion, 15:1, 45-52, September/October, 2000. Health care expenditures - 1996 dollars. Independent effects after adjustmentContact:ChartWare Inc. 101 Golf Course Drive, Suite A220, Rohnert Park, CA 94928Contact: Dr. Allan Khoury 216 589 9400 (akhoury@wholehealthnet.com)Dr. David Tully-Smith (ChartWare CEO) 707 323 2298 (dts@chartware.com)

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Joseph Nchor

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