DUBLIN, May 15, 2013 /PRNewswire/ -- eHealth Week
Conference -- IBM (NYSE: IBM) announced today that it is
working with Catalan Institute of Health (ICS), a major health
provider in Catalonia, Spain, on a
new care coordination pilot program, delivering a single patient
view from large volumes of Big Data and making it easier for
multiple providers – doctors, nurses, social workers – to
coordinate care.
(Logo: http://photos.prnewswire.com/prnh/20090416/IBMLOGO )
Since 60 percent of Catalonia's population over 65 has chronic
diseases and consumes 70 percent of the region's healthcare
resources, the Catalonian government is tackling the problem
through more coordinated chronic disease management. The government
is working closely with ICS, a system of eight hospitals and 470
primary care units that provides healthcare services to the more
than seven million citizens of Catalonia.
The pilot with ICS requires a solution that enables a shared,
holistic view of each patient, helping pull together information
from several data sources and many custom and commercial
applications. Also important is the ability to create and manage
individualized care plans based on patient assessment results to
support care delivery in home settings, reassessments, referrals
and collaboration among numerous care and social services
providers.
"We understand the importance of the joint action between
professionals across different service levels and its positive
effects on the health outcomes of the patients being cared for, in
the quality of the care provided and in the use of healthcare and
social resources," said Jaume
Benavent, deputy director of Health Affaires, ICS.
The pilot program, serving more than 150 patients in complex
health conditions, is taking place in treatment centers, labs,
primary care centers and hospitals. The end goal is to provide
caregivers with the ability to perform holistic and systematic
assessments of patients to determine their level of needs across
different factors such as daily living, nutritional and social care
needs.
"When it comes to treating chronic conditions, there are so many
providers and care givers involved to ensure patients receive the
best possible care," said Javier
Olaizola, IBM Spain Healthcare Industry Leader.
"Catalonia is taking a forward-looking approach to integrating
vital data and allowing coordinated care across social and clinical
communities."
The system includes IBM Cúram Social Program Management and
Outcome Management software and IBM WebSphere.
IBM's Smarter Care offerings help healthcare providers, public
and private payers, life sciences, and social programs/benefits
providers deliver holistic and individualized care to
citizens. Combining content and Big Data predictive
analytics, cognitive capabilities and industry specific services,
Smarter Care uncovers valuable insights into social determinants,
lifestyle choices and clinical factors, helping lower costs,
enhance quality and improve outcomes.
For more information about IBM Smarter Care, visit
http://www.ibm.com/smarterplanet/us/en/smarter_care/overview/.
For more information about ICS, visit
http://www.gencat.cat/ics/english.htm
CONTACT:
Mitchell Derman
+1 571-216-8712
mderman@us.ibm.com
Holli Haswell
+1 720 396-5485
hhaswell@us.ibm.com
David Herrera
+34 91 3977006
davidh@es.ibm.com
SOURCE IBM