Aetna (NYSE:AET) announced
today that it has made its CareEngine-powered Personal Health Record
(PHR) available to current Aetna Medicare members who purchased their
Medicare plans individually. This unique, interactive tool is designed
to better engage Medicare members in managing their own health, as well
as make it easier for members to share health information with their
physicians.
Aetna's PHR combines a wide variety of health information gathered from
across the health care spectrum -- such as physician offices, labs,
diagnostic treatment and pharmacies -- with user-entered information
such as family history or allergies, and houses it in a secure, online
location. This type of tool is especially important to Medicare members
as more and more of them use the Internet. A May 2008 study from the Pew
Internet & American Life Society estimates that 35 percent of
individuals age 65 and over use the Internet, and the percentage
increase for this age group has been greater than any other since 2000.
“This is a great example of the value that we
provide to our Medicare members,” said Frank
McCauley, head of Aetna’s Consumer Business
Segment. “Instead of storing medical records
in a file cabinet or a shoe box, Aetna’s PHR
allows members to access their medical information any place an Internet
connection is available.”
With permission from the member, the Personal Health Record can be
shared online with physicians and other health care professionals. In
addition, members can easily print copies to bring to office visits to
help fill out forms. They also have the ability to create and print a
wallet-sized Emergency Information Card that contains important
information such as name, date of birth, blood type, emergency contacts,
allergies, medications, and physician and insurance information.
Aetna’s PHR also uses patented CareEngine
technology that continuously scans an individual’s
health data and claims information and compares it to current,
established medical best practices. It can then alert members and
doctors about possible urgent situations and opportunities to improve
care.
Recent Enhancements
Through a recent pilot program that made the PHR available to more than
750,000 members, Aetna discovered that members with an ongoing health
condition were twice as likely to use their PHR as those without one. In
part because of this finding, Aetna added Health Trackers to the PHR to
help members better follow their health data. With this new feature,
members can more effectively monitor their blood glucose levels, blood
pressure, cholesterol, BMI and more.
Aetna has also made the PHR available online to treating physicians’
offices (if given access by the member) through Aetna's secure provider
website via NaviNet®.
“With age usually comes an increased need for
health care services, and our Medicare members are more likely to have
chronic conditions they need to monitor on an ongoing basis,”
McCauley said. “These new features will give
them the ability to better track their own health information and share
it with their physicians. Improvements in both of these areas can help
our members make better decisions concerning their health care.”
About Aetna
Aetna is one of the nation’s leading
diversified health care benefits companies, serving approximately 37.2
million people with information and resources to help them make better
informed decisions about their health care. Aetna offers a broad range
of traditional and consumer-directed health insurance products and
related services, including medical, pharmacy, dental, behavioral
health, group life and disability plans, and medical management
capabilities and health care management services for Medicaid plans. Our
customers include employer groups, individuals, college students,
part-time and hourly workers, health plans, governmental units,
government-sponsored plans, labor groups and expatriates. www.aetna.com
Aetna
Ethan Slavin, 860-273-6095
SlavinE@aetna.com
