Nationwide Better Health Introduces Oncology Disease Management Program
Evidence-based program helps people undergoing cancer treatment experience less pain and fatigue in their daily life and work
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
May 7, 2007
Contact:
Terri Erlenbach (614) 249-5755
erlenbt@nationwide.com
Columbus, Ohio— Nationwide Better HealthSM, a leading provider of total population health management solutions, announced today the launch of an oncology management program to supplement its robust disease management offering and to ensure that cancer patients maintain the highest quality of life possible. Nationwide Better Health’s oncology offering is part of its ongoing efforts to provide the most comprehensive set of integrated health management solutions to Fortune 1000 companies in order to create a healthier, more productive workforce and reduce the impact of health care costs on companies’ bottom lines.
Nationwide Better Health’s oncology disease management program is focused on helping people undergoing cancer treatment learn to better manage the side-effects of the treatment. Pain management therapy, fatigue solutions, medication compliance, emotional support and diet are the backbone of the program. Nationwide Better Health’s fully-integrated model ensures that patients are offered services and support whenever appropriate, and its nurse health coaches develop an individualized, confidential plan based on each patient’s acuity, personal barriers, needs and readiness-to-change. These nurse health coaches are highly skilled in understanding oncology care.
“Approximately 40 percent of the more than one million Americans diagnosed with some form of cancer each year are working-age adults.1 Combined with the International Agency for Research’s projections that cancer rates will double by 2030 and the increased prevalence in certain cancers due to poor lifestyle choices, this number will undoubtedly increase,” said Dr. Neil Gordon, Nationwide Better Health’s chief medical and science officer. “At Nationwide Better Health, we are focused on providing personalized and outcomes-based solutions to help cancer patients manage their disease and live fuller, more productive lives.”
Additional components of Nationwide Better Health’s oncology management program include:
• Oncology HealthModel™, a proprietary evidence-based program guide,
helps nurse health coaches determine the type and frequency of
interventions needed.
• RiskScreen® identifies acuity level, primary, secondary and
tertiary conditions.
• Utilization management provides review during hospitalization and,
coupled with case management services, offers discharge planning that
includes:
o Working with the patient, provider and family
to develop a care plan focusing on coordinating services to meet the
patient’s needs.
o Assuring appropriate medical treatment during
the acute phase of the illness.
When developing its oncology offering, Nationwide Better Health found research from the Fatigue Coalition that indicated 75 percent of cancer sufferers adjust their work life due to fatigue caused by treatments and 40 percent of patients receive no medical recommendations on managing fatigue, although
a vast majority seek advice on handling this side effect. Through providing solutions to handle and mitigate fatigue, Nationwide Better Health’s primary goal is to help people currently undergoing cancer treatment lead fuller, more productive lives. In turn, this reduces the costs incurred by companies from cancer-related lost productivity and absences.
“The National Institutes of Health estimated that cancer cost U.S. companies nearly $18 billion in lost productivity in 2006,” said Dr. Gordon. “Through oncology management and a dedicated, certified nurse health coach, patients experience decreased side effects and enjoy more sustainable returns to work.”
The oncology management program joins Nationwide Better Health’s robust portfolio of disease management offerings, which address conditions contributing to the majority of corporate health care costs including: asthma, congestive heart failure, diabetes, coronary artery disease, high blood pressure, high cholesterol, low back pain and depression. Each program provides personalized attention by offering dedicated nurse health coaches to provide confidential support and educational materials to each employee enrolled. Nationwide Better Health found that health coaches prompt more than 98 percent of employees to comply with their physicians’ treatment plans and employee satisfaction with the programs was consistently greater than 95 percent.
Nationwide Better Health also recently closed on its acquisitions of WellCorp and INTERVENT, leading providers of integrated health management services, work-site employee health services and online self-management tools. Nationwide Better Health can now provide employers with best practice health management offerings and employees with information based on their preferences for how they want to be reached – whether it’s by phone, online, on paper or in person. Nationwide Better Health will begin integrating both companies’ products and services with its own health and wellness, and disease, disability, absence, medical and maternity management offerings this year.
About Nationwide Better Health
Nationwide Better HealthSM, a subsidiary of Nationwide
Corporation, is a leading provider of total population health management
solutions aimed at lowering health care costs, increasing productivity
and improving quality of life for Fortune 1000 employers and their
employees. Nationwide Better Health is the first company to truly
integrate the best collection of health and productivity services
available today, including health and wellness, and disease, disability,
absence, medical and maternity management, along with lifestyle health
coaching, on-site health services and the industry’s first integrated
disease and disability management offering. The company’s offerings work
together and independently to address both sides of the cost equation:
increased efficiency of health and productivity programs and better
employee health and well-being to reduce health care-related costs. For
more information, call 866.404.6924 or visit www.nwbetterhealth.com.
Nationwide, based in Columbus, Ohio, is one of the largest diversified insurance and financial services organizations in the world, with more than $160 billion in assets. Nationwide ranks #104 on the Fortune 500 list. The company provides a full range of insurance and financial services, including auto, motorcycle, boat, homeowners, life, commercial insurance, administrative services, health management services, annuities, mortgages, mutual funds, pensions and long-term savings plans. For more information, visit www.nationwide.com.
Nationwide, the Nationwide framemark and On Your Side are federally registered service marks of Nationwide Mutual Insurance Company. Nationwide Better Health is a service mark of Nationwide Mutual Insurance Company.
1 American Cancer Society, Cancer Facts & Figures 2005.
