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Biotech / Medical : Matria Healthcare (MATR) -- Ignore unavailable to you. Want to Upgrade?

To: W Shakespeare who wrote (152)	7/28/1998 11:22:00 AM
From: GREATMOOD	Read Replies (2) \| Respond to of 220

Matria Healthcare Partners With ProMedex To Offer First Full Spectrum Diabetes Disease Management Program ATLANTA, and RALEIGH, NC., July 28 /PRNewswire/ -- Matria Healthcare, Inc. (Nasdaq: MATR) and ProMedex, Inc., today announced the integration of the ProMedex netCare population based diabetes care management program with Matria's clinical diabetes services to create the nation's first full-spectrum diabetes disease management program. The two leading providers of disease management programs have combined technologies to enable health plans to better determine the severity of a diabetic disorder, customize treatment programs, and track patient progress. The collaborative program provides a cost-effective means for patient identification, assessment, intervention, and evaluation of outcomes for people with diabetes at all stages of the disease. The healthcare industry recognizes that preventing diabetes-related complications through improved glycemic control and providing specialized clinical services for those with advanced diabetes are two of the largest opportunities for improving clinical outcomes, reducing costs and increasing patient satisfaction. "One challenge in providing cost-effective disease management services is obtaining timely and accurate identification of those who can benefit from clinical interventions," according to Frank Powers, Chief Operating Officer of Matria Healthcare. "Routine profiling of a health plan's entire population of people with diabetes now allows us to identify individuals for whom comprehensive clinical services will have the greatest impact," says Powers. "With netCare, we are able to gather a wealth of information on the health plan's entire diabetes population, including their disease management and health outcomes. Identifying the best treatment options for the right people, at the right time, is key to providing the most cost-effective and beneficial diabetes management programs." Matria and ProMedex are taking a novel approach now possible because of advances in technology and a greater understanding of the most effective ways to treat and manage diseases such as diabetes. Originally, management of chronic conditions focused exclusively on a small subset of the population, the most costly patients, and relied primarily on claims and utilization data to identify these individuals. Such programs are able to offer measurable, but limited benefits. "To have an impact on the overall quality and cost of care, you must identify patients proactively, and initiate programs that improve patient compliance as well as enhance clinician effectiveness and productivity for the majority of the diabetes population," said Pieter Muntendam, MD, President of ProMedex. In addition, Muntendam believes these proactive programs should be able to target patients at high risk for disease progression, and therefore those requiring the subsequent use of comprehensive health care services. This shift in focus is illustrated by the measurement areas identified by the Diabetes Quality Improvement Project (DQIP). Powers added, "In partnership with ProMedex, we are the first to offer programs that cover the entire spectrum of people with diabetes, with the aim of improving quality of care and reducing costs in the areas selected by DQIP." Using computer voice recognition technology and the Internet, the integrated program gathers a self-reported health profile from people previously diagnosed with diabetes. During profiling, diabetes patients are stratified by risk dimension. This approach segments the population into those requiring no intervention to those who will benefit from more intensive management services. "Matria's national clinical network allows it to provide specialized services in all major markets," Said Muntendam. Linking this capability with the ProMedex's technology based infrastructure for profiling and risk reduction creates a cost-effective solution that improves quality and health outcomes while reducing costs. This press release contains forward-looking statements that involve risks and uncertainties, including developments in the healthcare industry, third-party actions over which Matria and ProMedex do not have control, and regulatory requirements applicable to the business of Matria and ProMedex as well as other risks detailed from time to time in reports filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission. ProMedex is based in Raleigh, NC and provides cost-effective population-based disease management services to health plans and employers for people with common chronic conditions. Matria Healthcare, Inc. is the leading provider of comprehensive disease management services for health plans and employers for the condition of pregnancy and the chronic conditions of diabetes, respiratory disorders, and cardiovascular disease. SOURCE Matria Healthcare, Incorporated CO: Matria Healthcare, Incorporated and ProMedex, Incorporated ST: Georgia, North Carolina IN: HEA SU: JVN 07/28/98 11:02 EDT prnewswire.com