Independence Blue Cross and Health Dialog, a provider of health care analytics and decision support, is collaborating on a new pilot program that will offer health coaching to people with chronic illnesses to help them stay well and out of the hospital.
Through the pilot, four primary care practices serving 10,000 patients in the Philadelphia region will work with dedicated health coaches who will communicate with patients who are at increased risk for acute health problems, such as diabetics with high blood pressure or severe asthmatics.
The four practices are patient-centered medical homes, a new model of care that brings a personalized team approach to primary care. Medical homes are different from other primary care practices in that chronically ill patients can be seen more quickly, often have direct communication with their doctors through secure email, and are cared for by a team of health educators and medical staff who help them stay well.
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"We are excited to launch this pilot to provide health coaches who can help primary care practices better care for their chronically ill patients and improve their health," says Richard Snyder, senior vice president and chief medical officer at IBC. "Most practices are so busy that there just aren't enough hours in the day to proactively contact chronically ill patients to check whether they're having problems, remind them to take their medication, or ask if they got the tests that were ordered and kept appointments with other doctors. Health Dialog coaches become an extension of the practice providing extra support."
The health coaches, provided through Health Dialog, are trained nurses, dietitians, and/or respiratory therapists who can offer patients a variety of support, including health education, reminders about filling prescriptions and scheduling follow-up care, and guidance about when a condition warrants further or immediate treatment. Health coaches also help build self-reliance skills and confidence in managing chronic illnesses.
IBC was an early supporter of Pennsylvania's Chronic Care Initiative, which was launched by the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania in 2008, and set out to transform primary care by allowing doctors to focus on what patients most want and need: more personal, coordinated, and immediate care. Since then, IBC says it has worked closely with primary care doctors to promote adoption of the medical home model. Its network includes nearly 200 primary care practices that have qualified to become medical homes, serving approximately 500,000 members.
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