SmartBeat hypertension self-management program named New England's Best Benefits Practice
BOSTON, JANUARY 6, 2010 – SmartBeat, an innovative new benefits program to help employees self-manage high blood pressure, was recognized as one of New England's Best Benefits Practices of 2009 by the New England Employee Benefits Council. SmartBeat was developed by the Center for Connected Health, a division of Partners HealthCare, in collaboration with EMC Corporation, the first company to participate in the program. Of the 400 participants in the program, 59% showed a reduction in blood pressure.
“We were delighted to collaborate with EMC to create SmartBeat, a novel approach to helping employees better manage their health,” said Joseph C. Kvedar, MD, Director, Center for Connected Health. “There is an urgent unmet need to improve hypertension management in our country, and help people with pre-hypertension avoid more serious health complications. Further, it has been demonstrated that sustained lowering of blood pressure leads to fewer downstream healthcare costs. SmartBeat is designed to help companies and their employees achieve better blood pressure management, as well as higher employee engagement in their health.”
SmartBeat is a self-management and monitoring program designed to enable employees to proactively manage their health. It provides employees with anytime, anywhere access to self-management tools to improve their health and make positive lifestyle and health behavior changes. SmartBeat participants received a home blood pressure cuff and communications device that stores and transmits their readings to an Internet-based self-management system which includes personalized, targeted feedback.
“SmartBeat gives our employees with hypertension greater confidence in managing their blood pressure and a better understanding of how to change behavior to keep their health in check,” said Delia Vetter, Senior Director of Benefits and Programs, EMC. “SmartBeat is a natural extension of EMC’s employee health management strategy to promote a healthy workplace and drive innovation and the adoption of new healthcare technologies.”
The Center for Connected Health recently launched SmartBeat as an employee benefit program being offered to other large self-insured employers. Over 1,000 employees from several major Massachusetts companies are expected to participate in 2010. Employers receive comprehensive reporting, including engagement levels, actual clinical data and customized ROI reports.
SmartBeat is also available as a self-care program to help employees better monitor personal exercise and activity regimens and manage their weight. SmartBeat will also be adding self-management programs for blood glucose and diabetes monitoring and medication adherence, as well as features and enhancements to deliver coaching, using cell phones and other devices.
“Many wellness and disease management programs depend upon claims information or visits or check-ups with a healthcare or fitness professional. Some are time limited,” added Kvedar. “SmartBeat is designed as an ongoing health benefit that offers employees individualized education and feedback, based on their specific health data, anyplace Internet access is available.”
Hypertension is a preventable cause of stroke and other cardiac complications. However, according to the American Heart Association, 65 million Americans have high blood pressure. Of those diagnosed with hypertension, the World Health Organization estimates that almost 70% do not have adequate blood pressure control, contributing to an estimated $40 billion in direct healthcare costs and more than 17 million physician office visits annually.
About the Center for Connected Health
The Center for Connected Health (formerly Partners Telemedicine), a division of Partners HealthCare, is a leader in the use of technology to deliver quality patient care outside of the medical setting. Based in Boston, the Center for Connected Health is applying consumer technologies and online resources in innovative ways, to increase access and improve quality medical services and patient care. The Center for Connected Health also offers expert online second opinions and facilitates enhanced medical education and training through Internet technologies. Visit www.connected-health.org.
Boston-based Partners HealthCare is an integrated health system founded in 1994 by Brigham and Women’s Hospital and Massachusetts General Hospital. In addition to its two academic medical centers, the Partners system also includes community and specialty hospitals, community health centers, a physician network, home health and long-term care services, and other health-related entities. Partners is one of the nation’s leading biomedical research organizations and a principal teaching affiliate of Harvard Medical School. Partners is a non-profit organization. Visit www.partners.org.