SOURCE: Robert Bosch Healthcare
PALO ALTO, CA–(Marketwire – October 20, 2010) –
- Independent review board commends system’s design and performance
- Thirteen programs earn disease management certification status
- Company leads telehealth industry in certification
Robert Bosch Healthcare, Inc., a leader in telehealth systems, announced today that it received recertification in Disease Management (DM) from the National Committee for Quality Assurance (NCQA) for ten of its Health Buddy® System Health Management programs, and new certification for three additional programs. All 13 Health Management programs are administered through the Health Buddy System, which serves as an interface between at-home chronically ill patients and their care providers, facilitating remote monitoring of patient health status and promoting patient education and self-care.
“NCQA DM certification demonstrates that an organization is well suited to deliver programs to manage care for the seriously or chronically ill. As it’s a difficult test, it says a lot that an organization is willing to step forward to be reviewed,” said NCQA Executive Vice President, Greg Pawlson, M.D.
NCQA certification is a comprehensive and transparent evaluation through which the quality of the systems, processes and results that define a health plan is assessed. After evaluations are conducted by physicians and/or experts in the product evaluated, an oversight committee analyzes the findings and assigns a score based on the applicant’s performance against NCQA’s standards. Robert Bosch Healthcare received a score of 100%, based on its overall submissions. Each certification is valid for two years.
Bosch leads the industry in its number of NCQA certifications. Ten Health Buddy System Health Management Programs recertified are: Asthma, Cancer, Cardiovascular Disease, Congestive Heart Failure, Chronic Pain, Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease (COPD), Depression, Diabetes, Hypertension and Pediatric Asthma. New programs receiving certification for the first time are: Diabetes/Hypertension, Heart Failure/Diabetes and Renal Disease.
These programs scored high in each element of the DM certification for Program Design. Evaluation criteria includes the use of evidence-based guidelines or standards of care in program development, consistency of content with adopted guidelines, and development of patient information that assists with self-management. NCQA noted specific strengths of the Health Buddy System: the large array of disease programs offered; the branching logic applied to the patient question and answer “dialogues”; and Bosch Healthcare’s process for tracking and changing content as guidelines change. Also noted was the use of health dialogues to gather an extensive amount of patient data, in order to identify and address patient safety issues. The risk stratification of safety alerts allows immediate review of information by a clinician.
“The rigorous, independent review taken by NCQA underlines the high quality standards and demonstrated effectiveness of the Health Buddy System in improving care for patients with chronic conditions,” said Derek Newell, President Robert Bosch Healthcare. “Each day, around 30,000 patients connect to their care providers using the Health Buddy System. Customers can be assured that our Health Management Programs are based on sound clinical principles and standard guidelines, which ultimately enable care providers to better support chronically ill patients without increasing costs.”
About the Bosch Healthcare Health Buddy System
In use for more than ten years, the Health Buddy System includes a compact device that patients use at home to answer a series of questions about their health and symptoms, and receive information that helps them better manage their chronic conditions. Patient data gathered by the device is transmitted to a secure data center and quickly risk-stratified, giving proactive providers the opportunity to intervene before the patient’s condition becomes critical.
About the National Committee for Quality Assurance
The National Committee for Quality Assurance (NCQA) is a non-profit organization dedicated to improving health care quality. Since its founding in 1990, NCQA has been a central figure in driving improvement throughout the health care system. Through its certification review process, NCQA certifies a wide range of health care organizations and programs. Its disease management certification standards are intended to reduce patient risk, help organizations achieve the highest level of performance possible, and create an environment of continuous improvement. For more information, visit www.ncqa.org.
About The Bosch Group:
Robert Bosch Healthcare Inc. is a leading provider of innovative telehealth systems. Bosch’s product spectrum ranges from patient terminals to comprehensive evaluation software allowing healthcare professionals to efficiently evaluate the data coming from the patient terminals and other connected devices. Bosch Telehealth strives to improve diagnosis and treatment through systematic patient monitoring and involvement. The result is that health professionals are able to provide a higher quality of care for patients with chronic conditions, patients lead happier and healthier lives, and the cost of healthcare is reduced for funders. Robert Bosch Healthcare, Inc. is a fully-owned subsidiary of the Bosch Group. For more information, go to www.bosch-telehealth.com.
The Bosch Group is a leading global supplier of technology and services. In the areas of automotive and industrial technology, consumer goods, and building technology, some 275,000 associates generated sales of 38.2 billion euros (roughly $53 billion) in fiscal 2009. The Bosch group comprises Robert Bosch GmbH and its more than 300 subsidiaries and regional companies in over 60 countries. This worldwide development, manufacturing, and sales network are the foundation for growth. Each year, Bosch spends more than 3.5 billion euros ($5 billion) for research and development, and applies for some 3,800 patents worldwide. With all its products and services, Bosch works to enhance the quality of life by providing solutions which are both innovative and beneficial. For more information, visit www.bosch.com.
In the U.S., Canada and Mexico, the Bosch Group manufactures and markets automotive original equipment and aftermarket products, industrial drives and control technology, power tools, security and communication systems, packaging technology, thermotechnology, household appliances, solar energy and healthcare products. Having established a regional presence in 1906, Bosch employs over 20,000 associates in more than 70 locations, with reported sales of $7.3 billion in fiscal 2009. For more information, visit www.boschusa.com.
National Committee for Quality Assurance
Celebrating its 20th anniversary in 2010, NCQA is a private, nonprofit organization dedicated to improving health care quality. NCQA accredits and certifies a wide range of health care organizations. It also recognizes clinicians and practices in key areas of performance. NCQA’s Healthcare Effectiveness Data and Information Set (HEDIS®) is the most widely used performance measurement tool in health care. NCQA is committed to providing health care quality information for consumers, purchasers, health care providers, and researchers.
Contact:
Edie DeVine
phone: +1-415-365-8543
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