Catalan Institute of Health Engages IBM for Care Coordination

Smarter Care Pilot Program Tackles Big Data Challenge for Catalonia

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May 15, 2013, 05:30 ET

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.

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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
[email protected]

Holli Haswell
+1 720 396-5485
[email protected]

David Herrera
+34 91 3977006
[email protected]

SOURCE IBM