Aetna In Touch CareSM Helps Improve and Personalize Care Management for Aetna Members

Published on Wednesday, 08 February 2012 10:11 Written by TradersHuddle Staff

HARTFORD, Conn.-( Business Wire )-

Aetna (NYSE: AET) today announced the launch of the Aetna In Touch Care^SM program, a new option in care management that gives members more personalized care support, tools and programs to engage them early and keep them motivated.

Building on our success in care management, the Aetna In Touch Care model combines the knowledge and expertise of our nurse care managers with enhancements to the technology available to Aetna’s nurses and members. The main components include:

• A nurse care manager that serves as the single, trusted contact for a member and his or her family;
• Individualized health actions plans that incorporate Aetna’s Personal Health Record (PHR);
• A new predictive algorithm that identifies potential health issues earlier, engaging members before major health care problems occur; and
• Virtual care to supplement the one-on-one support and for members with less urgent care needs.

“The Aetna In Touch Care model connects our members with relevant and timely information and programs that can better help our members address their unique health challenges, and will also help them avoid more serious – and costly – health issues in the long term,” said Paul Marchetti, head of Aetna National Care Management.

Building Personal Relationships

Aetna nurse care managers’ goal is to develop trusting and meaningful relationships to better support members as they manage their health issues. The new Aetna In Touch Care model builds on that capability, allowing members to work consistently with the nurse care manager they know and trust to help members achieve better health outcomes.

“The continuity of care and the longevity of the relationships between our nurse care managers and our members will lead to more positive health outcomes,” said Susan Kosman, R.N., Aetna chief nursing officer. “Our nurses will be able to develop personalized health action plans based on their in-depth knowledge of our members, and our members will be able to deal with somebody they are comfortable with, which is essential in any health care interaction.”

Technology helps strengthen the personal connection

The Aetna In Touch Care model also uses innovative technology to help members achieve their best health. The new predictive algorithm used with the Aetna In Touch Care model analyzes a member’s health information to help identify potential health issues before they become major problems.

In addition, the patented CareEngine®* technology allows nurse care managers and members to develop a health action plan based on a member’s unique needs and preferences. Members can track their personalized health action plans through their PHRs to help control diabetes, lose weight, lower cholesterol, quit smoking or reach a number of other health goals. The personalized health action plans are made possible and tailored to members’ health needs based on the information in their PHRs.

Members and nurse care managers can also determine the best way for members to receive relevant information on their health care, such as through online self-service tools; phone calls; emails; social networks; or text messages.

The Aetna In Touch Care program is currently available to Aetna’s self-insured customers in the National Accounts and Public and Labor segments, with plans to make the program available to additional market segments in the future.

*The CareEngine is a proprietary technology platform developed by ActiveHealth Management, an Aetna company.

About Aetna

Aetna is one of the nation's leading diversified health care benefits companies, serving approximately 36.4 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, health care providers, governmental units, government-sponsored plans, labor groups and expatriates. For more information, see www.aetna.com.

AetnaEthan Slavin, This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.