APhA Foundation Launches Patient Self-Management Solutions

PRESS RELEASE

ATLANTA, GA—Today at the Institute for HealthCare Consumerism Forum, the American Pharmacists Association (APhA) Foundation launches its new Patient Self-Management (PSM) Solutions, a proven model that can reduce overall cost of care by approximately $1,000 per person with diabetes per year, improve health outcomes and increase patient satisfaction.

Driving employee wellness is a key strategic imperative for most organizations. From increasing the number of days on the job to reducing the cost of benefits to improving employee motivation and morale, corporate wellness programs are more critical than ever to businesses, and the PSM Solutions can help address these issues. With over 10 years of demonstrated success, the PSM Solutions model offers a tested and validated, innovative approach to reducing the impact of chronic disease on top and bottom lines, improving outcomes for even the most challenging patient populations.

The APhA Foundation’s PSM Solutions were developed leveraging over a decade of in-field use in the Foundation’s diabetes research in collaboration with employers, patients and providers. Based on the Foundation’s Project IMPACT: Diabetes, Diabetes Ten City Challenge, and Patient-Self Management Program for Diabetes, the PSM Solutions model includes the Patient Self-Management Credential (PSMC) for Diabetes, APhA Foundation’s groundbreaking software, a national network of pharmacist providers, and the methodology refined over the course of the Foundation’s research.

With the flexibility to add the PSMC for Diabetes to an existing program or develop an end-to-end comprehensive solution, PSM Solutions are ideally suited for innovative employers and health plans looking to effectively address their chronic disease management needs. PSM Solutions allow providers to administer and manage knowledge, skills and performance assessments that identify patients’ individual needs and customize the care that is delivered to facilitate self-management. PSM Solutions provide a mass customization of care strategy for participating providers to more effectively meet patients where they are in their diabetes self-management journey.

According to Benjamin M. Bluml, Senior Vice President of Research and Innovation for the Foundation, “This solution enables pharmacists and other healthcare providers to gain a comprehensive understanding of their patients’ ability to manage their diabetes through the real world application of knowledge, skills and performance. Providers can then customize and effectively direct treatment in patient populations, resulting in better, more cost effective outcomes for all patients and a proven cost savings of over $1,000 per patient per year.”

Unlike traditional patient activation measures or tools, PSM Solutions supply healthcare providers with targeted feedback about disease specific areas for focus and provide links to patient education resources that may be helpful to more efficiently and effectively address those needs. This ensures that the most appropriate level of care and targeted information is provided to patients based on their individual needs, resulting in increased patient satisfaction and outcomes.

As a part of PSM Solutions, the APhA Foundation is bringing together a network of healthcare providers to deliver patient care services. Current network partners include Kroger, PrescribeWellness, and SinfoniaRx. Additionally, Scientific Technologies Corporation has partnered with the APhA Foundation to integrate the PSMC for Diabetes into its technology platform. The Foundation’s network partners are available to provide services to beneficiaries of self-insured employers and other healthcare payers interested in providing care options that include the PSM Solutions.

“Diabetes costs American employers more than 15 million workdays every year and accounts for more than $176 billion in healthcare spending,” states Mindy Smith, Executive Director of the APhA Foundation. “Our PSM Solutions are backed by years in the field, peer reviewed, and proven to improve outcomes and reduce the total cost of care.”

Sanofi US, a global healthcare leader that discovers, develops and distributes therapeutic solutions focused on patients' needs, has been a key supporter of the PSMC and sees it as an opportunity to improve patient health and reduce overall healthcare costs. Sanofi US’s Partners in Patient Health group, which focuses on connecting people, ideas and solutions to focus on critical issues related to advancing patient health, has also been an important advocate of the PSMC and APhA Foundation’s efforts to expand its use in new healthcare environments.