Remote monitoring and nurse case management combined improve health of Medicare beneficiaries with CHF

Chronic heart failure (CHF) is one of the most common causes of hospitalization for elderly Americans, and is also one of the nation's most costly conditions to treat.

“This study demonstrates how the Intel Health Guide can be used to address the challenges of chronic care management”

Aetna and Intel Corporation have announced preliminary study results demonstrating how the combination of remote patient monitoring and nurse case management could improve the health of Medicare beneficiaries with CHF.

Randall Krakauer, MD, FACP, FACR, Aetna's national Medicare medical director, presented initial findings from the Aetna-Intel study on Wednesday at the America's Health Insurance Plans (AHIP) Institute 2010 conference in Las Vegas. The preliminary results revealed a number of successful early interventions and evidence of improved adherence from both clinicians and patients.

"Evidence shows that traditional nurse care management programs have improved outcomes and reduced avoidable hospital admissions among Medicare beneficiaries with CHF," Krakauer said. "We are attempting to enhance that approach by providing technology to our Medicare members that helps them more easily monitor warning signs -- such as weight and blood pressure changes -- at home. Combined with frequent discussions with Aetna nurse case managers, we believe that members engaged in remote health management will be more successful managing their health."

"This study demonstrates how the Intel Health Guide can be used to address the challenges of chronic care management," said Patricia Perry, vice president and director of product delivery for the Intel Digital Health Group. "Intel is committed to working with health care organizations such as Aetna to support more personalized and cost-efficient health care. As the number of patients with chronic conditions continues to rise, we must adopt new and innovative remote health management technologies that move us toward a more proactive care model."