This week, we observed World Mental Health Day (October 10th) which recognizes the impact of mental health globally. In the US, 1 in 5 adults (43.8 million people) experience mental illness every year. The National Alliance on Mental Illness reports that those living “with serious mental illness face an increased risk of having chronic medical conditions” and “die on average 25 years earlier than others, largely due to treatable medical conditions.” Serious mental illness costs the US $193.2 billion in lost wages, and that number doesn’t begin to account for the associative costs like homelessness, incarceration, and untreated medical conditions. The World Psychiatric Association and The Lancet Psychiatry convened to create the Commission on the Future of Psychiatry, which states … Continue reading The Future of Mental Health is Digital
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In less than two months, two Category 4 and two Category 5 hurricanes ripped through the nether parts of the United States and beyond, laying waste to communities and costing (to date) hundreds of billions of dollars and over 200 lives (and rising). Unsparing in their destruction, Hurricanes Irma, Harvey, Jose, and Maria have shuttered hospitals and care facilities, further distancing vulnerable people from the care they need. Local providers who are able to treat patients cannot possibly accommodate the groundswell of people who need care during a natural disaster. Without medical attention, hurricane survivors face the additional peril of untreated injuries and exacerbated illnesses. Telemedicine has proven to be a lifeline for disaster relief. Physicians from any pocket of … Continue reading Telemedicine: a Lifeline for Disaster Relief
This week Chase Hensel (Welkin Health CEO and co-founder) joined Laura Chavaree (Head of Pharmacy Access, Actelion Pharmaceuticals) to “Discuss Solutions to Streamline Patient Outreach Communication” as part of CBI’s 9th Annual Hub and SPP Model Optimization conference. The conference unifies key stakeholders across the industry to explore and strategize around hub and specialty pharma provider models. Hensel and Chavaree narrowed their focus to improving patient communication based on automating best practices. To make process improvements, companies must first understand their patients. They spoke on identifying the distinctive needs of users- both patients and providers- to “meaningfully differentiate service based on each segment.” By structuring programs around those patient specifications, companies can optimize the patient experience. Chavaree explained how social … Continue reading Solutions to Streamline Patient Outreach Communication
For the last 53 years, the European Association for the Study of Diabetes (EASD) has convened with the world’s leading experts to explore research and therapies for diabetes and diabetes-related diseases. EASD aims to share findings for the purpose of “the rapid diffusion of acquired knowledge and to facilitate its application.” From September 11th-15th, over 15,000 delegates congregated in Lisbon, Portugal for this year’s meeting to hear lectures, award and receive prizes, and attend poster events. Event highlights ranged from cutting-edge software for glucose management to studies on the relationship between a swine flu outbreak and type 1 diabetes. We’ve collected some of the key takeaways from EASD 2017 regarding diabetes. Type 2 diabetes There was a number of announcements … Continue reading Takeaways from the 2017 Meeting of the European Association for the Study of Diabetes
Supporting patients can be complex. Their acute or chronic illnesses may need care coordination across services. In comes the case manager. Patient case managers connect patients to services and resources to better understand and manage their illness, avoiding unnecessary hospitalizations for improved, cost-effective health outcomes. Case managers can find and communicate with endocrinologists and ophthalmologists for patients living with diabetes. They work with renal specialists and mental health services on behalf of members suffering lupus. They direct members to disease management programs for education tools, and identify the social and physical determinants derailing patient therapy adherence. Hastening patient speed to therapy, case managers find financial programs for patients who need assistance paying for medication and address reimbursement issues. Coordinating fragmented … Continue reading Why Welkin’s Case Management Software?
Last week, we examined Patient Assistance Programs (PAPs) and the need for financial relief for people buying prescriptions. This week we conclude our two part exploration of PAPs by identifying resources for patients. Assistance identifying PAPs One reason patients do not utilize pharmaceutical assistance is because they simply don’t know that it’s an option. Patients are reluctant to discuss their fiscal constraints with their doctors, missing an opportunity to learn about financial relief programs for medications. If patients don’t know such programs exist, they don’t apply for them. There are nonprofit organizations whose sole purpose is to connect patients with medication that is otherwise unaffordable. They vet medication assistance programs for which the patient may qualify, and find cost-abating resources … Continue reading Patient Assistance Programs: Getting Medications in the Hands of Patients Who Need Them, Part Two
This week, we explore the importance of Patient Assistance Programs (PAPs) in the first of a two part blog series identifying financial resources for patients, and the reasons they need them. The patient journey can be a long and frustrating one, particularly for those with rare diseases who can wait an average of 7 years for a diagnosis. But for some, prescriptions are not the conclusion of their hardships, but the beginning. Where can patients with diseases and their families turn when their prescribed medications are beyond their means? Patient Assistance Programs Run as charities by pharmaceutical companies, Patient Assistance Programs (PAPs) offer free or discounted medications, usually for one year, to uninsured or underinsured US citizen who can demonstrate … Continue reading Patient Assistance Programs: Getting Medications in the Hands of Patients Who Need Them, Part One
Welkin Health partnered with Community Health Center Network (CHCN) last September, but the Community Health Center Network has been making an impact on communities long before that. CHCN is a “Medi-Cal managed care organization” which contracts in the interest of eight satellite health centers. These centers merged together as a network in 1996 to create a solution to the problem of limited healthcare access affecting underserved populations in the East Bay. Located in Alameda County, CA, CHCN identifies at-risk candidates in vulnerable communities, assesses their needs and limitations, and provides quality health services for these populations. In tandem with their sister organization, the Alameda Health Consortium, CHCN provides physical, behavioral, dental, and preventive health services to more than 130,000 people … Continue reading Partner Spotlight: Community Health Center Network Expands Accessible Healthcare to At-Risk Populations in the East Bay with their Care Neighborhood Program
This week, World Congress’ 4th Annual Patient Support Services and HUB Design Summit convened in Philadelphia. The Patient Support Services and HUB Design Summit explores the benefits and strategies of integrating value-added hub and support services in an erratic era of healthcare. The summit spanned two days, hosting more than 30 speakers to discuss a variety of the facets involved in patient-centric care and hub performance in our current healthcare climate. Welkin Health’s CEO Chase Hensel attended the conference to participate on a panel entitled “Leverage Patient Centered Solutions Through Value-Added Services Which Engage Patients and Enhance ROI”. Chase was joined by Jennifer Doyle of Horizon Pharma, Kristen Magee from AssistRX, and Chad Woods of Sandoz, moderated by Cardinal Health’s … Continue reading Dispatches from the 4th Annual Patient Support Services and HUB Design Summit
The ACA remains viable this week, after the latest effort to repeal and replace Obamacare was thwarted by the Senate. The rejection of the most recent ACA replacement iteration was met with relief by many for myriad reasons (resulting in an abysmal CBO score), some of which include increasing the amount of uninsured Americans by 22 million, the gutting of Medicaid by $772 billion over the next ten years, and an undersized budget for contending with America’s opioid epidemic. During these partisan healthcare reform efforts, medical device therapies face uncertainties and hardships when introducing products to market. Payment and reimbursements for new devices are bound by rigorous process restraints, which could stall utilization if coverage becomes limited and cost-sharing becomes … Continue reading The Need for New Medical Technologies to Create a Reimbursement Roadmap
