Connecting to Physicians
iWellcare works with physicians to improve patient health and satisfaction, reduce patient and business insurance costs, and decrease medical liability.
Our innovative solutions include advanced blood screens and CASP testing to measure cardiovascular disease risk and vascular aging, nutrition education and support tools, corrective exercise therapy, spine and joint care workshops, VO2 max and metabolic testing, exercise instruction, and weight loss programs.
Our mission in the medical community is to offer solutions that effectively enable each individual to better understand body and mind, to take personal responsibility for health and wellbeing and lead happier, more productive lives.
The Healthcare Challenge
The U.S. faces substantial health challenges. The American Public Health Association reported that chronic disease, including diabetes, heart disease and obesity account for 75% of all health costs. According to the CDC and U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, 70% of all illnesses are linked to lifestyle related causes that can be controlled, such as physical inactivity and obesity.
65% of Americans are overweight and 33% are clinically obese. 60% of adults in the United States report they get essentially no exercise and only about 15% exercise regularly. A Johns Hopkins University team estimated that by the year 2015, 75% of Americans will be overweight and 41% will be obese.
Health care spending is growing faster than ever, currently at about twice the rate of inflation. Health care costs in the U.S. for 2007 totaled $2.3 TRILLION, $7600 per person with a doubling of costs since 1993. Healthcare spending in 2005 represented 16% of the gross domestic product and is expected to reach $4.2 TRILLION or 20% of the U.S. GDP by 2016.
The Healthcare Liability
Heart disease, stroke, obesity and diabetes are preventable. Patients with chronic, preventable disease pose an insurance liability risk and substantially increase costs to medical facilities, insurance providers, employers, government, and insurance payers. As health care consumers, we all bear the burden.
Patients with chronic illness can increase liability risks to physicians. Consumer Reports polled 70,000 readers to determine factors critical to the physician/patient relationship. The poll found that physician communication and education about treatment is essential to the relationship. When communication is poor, noncompliance is high. Patients with chronic disease tend to be most dissatisfied. Patient dissatisfaction increases litigation risk.
Positive education-oriented communication between physician and patient helps ensure compliance, and ultimately decreases physician liability.
Investment in patient education results in tremendous cost savings to medical facilities. An analysis of 25 Hospital and Health Network patient education programs found that for every dollar spent, institutions saved an average of $3.50.
Reducing Physician Liability
Patients’ basic information needs are met through physicians anticipating and answering general questions about medical procedures and outcomes, but physicians have limited resources to educate patients in disease prevention.
According to the American Academy of Family Practice, from the physician’s point of view, barriers to efficient patient education include lack of time and adequate reimbursement for time spent, provider forgetfulness, and physician doubt about patient follow-through.
iWellcare provides the solution to decrease your medical liability and empower your patients with knowledge to prevent chronic disease and live healthier, more fulfilling lives.
