HEALTHvision Alzheimer's Caregiver Study Uncovers Value of Secure, Interactive Communication.

Business Editors & Health/Medical Writers

IRVING, TEXAS--(BW HealthWire)--Sept. 4, 2002

Results Point to Value for Patient/Caregiver and Provider

HEALTHvision Inc., a leading healthcare Internet company, today announced the completion of a pilot program of its Alzheimer's Caregiver Support System (ACISS), a web-based program designed to serve as "one-stop shopping" for information, tools and resources to support family caregivers of Alzheimer's disease or related dementia (ADRD). The program was designed, in part, to investigate the acceptability, use and benefits of online resources as a way to improve the care delivery process for key healthcare stakeholders. Final results will be available later this year, however preliminary findings point to significant value associated with secure, interactive communications as a way to improve communication among clinical professionals and with their patients, and to ease the burden for family caregivers.

For example, HEALTHvision researchers found that interactive resources could be vital in maintaining the psychosocial health and well-being of persons taking care of family members afflicted with ADRD. Users especially enjoyed the secure, electronic communications (i.e. videoconferencing and web-based messaging), as well as moderated chats and forums. Additionally, initial feedback suggests that the resources made it easier for healthcare professionals to deliver better care.

Over 75 percent of those completing user satisfaction surveys said they would continue using the system on a regular basis, with 80 percent saying they would suggest it to other ADRD caregivers. This is especially surprising given that 68 percent of the participants were over the age of 65 and 55 percent had little or no previous computer experience.

"We are very excited by the preliminary findings, which indicate a majority of the ACISS prototype users were satisfied with the experience. The technology allowed caregivers to have their questions answered remotely by medical professionals, or communicate with their peers without leaving their home. Considering the demands placed on Alzheimer's caregivers, this points to a significant potential for improving their quality of life," said Laila Vehvilainen, ACISS Project Director for HEALTHvision. "With the majority of users at this time being older, novice computer users, we're optimistic that this technology will have even more significant implications for future generations of caregivers who are already familiar with computers and web-based resources."

The program's development and field trials were funded by the National Institute on Aging, part of the National Institutes on Health HEALTHvision collaborated with the Alzheimer's Association, Massachusetts Chapter and The Beverly Hospital Geriatric Care Center at the Hunt in Danvers, Mass.

Jeanette Rosa Brady, a counselor at the Alzheimer's Association, Massachusetts Chapter called her time using ACISS "a wonderful experience for me as a professional." She continued, "I think it provided services that the caregivers wouldn't have otherwise sought out because of stress or time factors or because they wouldn't have even known where to look for them. I think the most useful part was the one-to-one contact [through secure electronic communications and monitored chats] and knowing there was a place to read reliable information."

To determine potential impact, two versions of the system were released and compared. A "standard version" included features currently available on the web, such targeted health information, secure messaging, online questionnaires, chat and message board. An "advanced version" included all the features in the standard version, plus "emerging technology" such as videoconferencing and secure messaging. On average, participants with the advanced version logged on to use the tools 15 times per month, while participants using the standard version used it 7 times per month.

Throughout the six-month program, HEALTHvision researchers gathered both quantitative and qualitative data on systems' utilization, user satisfaction and outcomes for members in each group. Though analysis of this data continues, preliminary and anecdotal results point to the tremendous potential that secure, interactive communication tools can provide for three primary healthcare stakeholders - caregivers, patients and providers Benefits noted by participants included that they: 1) felt more knowledgeable about available resources and 2) felt ACISS helped address concerns, worries and anxieties.

"One study participant, whose wife has AD and is bedridden, referred to the ACISS program as a `godsend.' Since he was her primary caregiver, providing 24/7 care, he felt he could never leave the house. He had difficulty gathering the information he was looking for or interacting with the professionals and peers who could answer his questions. The online interaction left him feeling more informed and more in touch," Vehvilainen further noted.

Final results of this study will be made available this year and will be presented at the American Medical Informatics Association's conference this fall. In the meantime, researchers and executives from the company remain excited by what the team has already uncovered.

HEALTHvision sees the potential illustrated by study's initial findings as having broader implications. According to the 1999 National Survey of Families and Households, almost 26 million individuals are family caregivers, with projections from the 2000 census suggesting that the number may be as high as 54 million. This suggests that there are large populations that could be well served by web-based resources and secure communications delivered right to their homes.

Said HEALTHvision Chief Executive Officer Scott Decker: "At its heart, this study was really a `real-world trial,' in which we were trying to find out if web-based tools and resources would be used and if so, to what extent. Further analysis of our data is still taking place. But even from preliminary findings, we've seen an overwhelmingly positive response and see how beneficial the technology can be for all health-conscious consumers."

About HEALTHvision

HEALTHvision is a leading healthcare Internet company focused exclusively on helping the local healthcare organization address the needs of physicians, patients, consumers and employees through locally branded, web-based solutions. A privately held company, based in Irving, Texas, HEALTHvision was formed in July 1999 through the merger of the Internet-based products and resources of Eclipsys Corporation (Nasdaq:ECLP) (www.eclipsys.com) and VHA Inc. (www.vha.com). The company's web-infrastructure, e-healthSOURCE, the most widely used in the industry, is accessed by more than 2,400 healthcare organizations. Additionally, more than 300 healthcare organizations, representing more than 8,000 clinicians, 5,000 physicians, thousands of patients and millions of consumers are using a customized version of the company's portal solutions. HEALTHvision is a member of Health Internet Ethics (Hi-Ethics), a 22-member coalition of top e-healthcare companies committed to developing industry standards related to patient privacy. For more information, visit www.healthvision.com.