Aetna Pledges Support to Partnership for Patients Initiative
April 12 2011 - 1:59PM
Business Wire
Aetna (NYSE: AET) today pledged to support the Partnership for
Patients as part of the company’s ongoing patient safety and
clinical excellence efforts. The initiative brings together
stakeholders from across the health care system to achieve two
common patient safety goals: reducing harm caused to patients in
hospitals and reducing hospital readmissions. A safer, higher
quality health care system will save thousands of lives and
billions of dollars for all Americans.
“Patient safety is a critical element of Aetna’s overall
clinical strategy, and a major part of our efforts to move toward
more evidence-based care. In 2001, we were the first health care
company to join the Leapfrog Group’s efforts to improve the safety,
quality and affordability of health care,” said Aetna Chairman, CEO
and President Mark Bertolini. “During the past ten years, we have
made significant investments to develop the clinical programs and
technological capabilities necessary to help provide doctors and
hospitals in Aetna’s network with the clinical decision-making
tools that aid in their efforts to improve health outcomes for
patients. Today’s pledge is an extension of our important work in
patient safety and health initiatives.”
Aetna’s Leadership in Patient Safety
Aetna’s commitment to patient safety spans across multiple
points of the health care system. Examples of Aetna’s work
include:
- Incentives for doctors and hospitals
to improve quality and safety: Aetna's physician and hospital
incentive programs identify and target areas of opportunity to
improve the overall quality, safety and cost-efficiency of health
care. Aetna’s provider incentive programs, known as Pathways to
Excellencesm, use evidence-based measures and credible data to
recognize and promote quality and reward providers for achieving
demonstrated improvements in care for members.
- Leveraging technology: Aetna has
invested billions in clinically focused, technology-driven
resources that make the health care system work better. Through
ActiveHealth Management’s CareEngine® technology, Aetna can scan
available data and provide “Care Considerations” to doctors and
patients. In 2010, ActiveHealth sent 19 million individualized Care
Consideration messages to physicians and patients identifying
potential opportunities to improve care. In a study of more than
39,000 individuals, the CareEngine identified potentially serious
medical errors for nearly one of every 20 people, and helped reduce
hospitalizations among the study population by 8.4 percent.
- Designing payment models to reward
quality and share costs savings: New payment models, such as
Accountable Care Organizations (ACOs), are another example of how
collaboration with providers can improve outcomes and patient
safety. ACOs provide personalized patient care through the
effective coordination of treatment plans. Aetna’s ACO work began
three years ago in Medicare Advantage and continues today with a
recently announced relationship with Carilion Clinic.
- Educating patients and
consumers: In health care, knowledge is power. One of the most
effective ways to improve safety is to ensure that patients are
informed and engaged in their health care. Aetna has developed
online resources such as hospital comparison tools, educational
resources such as our consumer website BeSmartAboutYourHealth and
InteliHealth, as well as a Patient Safety webpage to help people
stay informed, invested and involved in their care.
- Improving medication safety:
Errors in prescription medication, harmful drug interactions, and
poor medication management can have a significant impact on health
and health care costs. Aetna’s new relationship with CVS Caremark
provides opportunities to improve safety at the point of care and
clinical programs, such as Rx Check®, identify opportunities to
improve care, prevent prescription misuse and reduce waste in the
health care system.
- Working with other large employers
to drive change: Through the Leapfrog Group, Aetna and other
large employers are driving transparency and easy access to health
care information as well as rewards for hospitals that have a
proven record of high quality care. Aetna recently announced a
number of infant safety programs launched in collaboration with The
Leapfrog Group and others that encourage women, doctors and
hospitals to limit electively scheduled deliveries until at least
39 weeks of pregnancy.
“Improving the quality and safety of health care is one of the
most valuable contributions that we make to the health care
system,” said Lonny Reisman, M.D., Aetna’s chief medical officer.
“Our work to enhance the effectiveness and efficiency of health
care will not only make health care safer, but will also ensure the
sustainability of the health care system for generations to
come.”
About Aetna
Aetna is one of the nation’s leading diversified health care
benefits companies, serving approximately 35.3 million people with
information and resources to help them make better informed
decisions about their health care. Aetna offers a broad range of
traditional, voluntary 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. For more information, see www.aetna.com. To learn more
about Aetna's innovative online tools, visit
www.aetnatools.com.
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