ANN ARBOR, MICH. – July 28, 2008 – HealthMedia, Inc., the pioneer in applying advanced technology to emulate a health coaching session via the web – without the coach – for wellness, disease management, behavioral health, and medication adherence, is announcing its most comprehensive product release in its decade-long company history. With new initiatives being launched in six areas of programming, HealthMedia continues to demonstrate vitality in the marketplace and places a high priority on investing in its underlying architecture and technology, while developing and delivering revolutionary, scalable solutions that take on the five most problematic “pain points” facing the industry today: participation, scalability, delivery cost, efficacy, and return on investment.
HealthMedia Launches Overcoming Binge Eating
HealthMedia’s newest product is the first solution of its kind to address America’s top eating disorder and its growing impact on healthcare costs and productivity. HealthMedia® Overcoming™ Binge Eating, a highly effective, evidence-based program, emulates the experience of an around-the-clock health coach, nutritionist, and psychologist working together via the web to help individuals regain control of their eating and emotions. In the U.S. alone, binge eating disorder (BED) is estimated to be responsible for $33 million in lost productivity and medical expenses annually. While up to 25 percent of obese individuals suffer from binge eating, weight management and obesity programs typically do not include a binge eating component. Overcoming Binge Eating will fill this gap. Initial results from individuals who have used the program show a 40% reduction in binge frequency as well as significant reductions in depression and anxiety.
New Pedometer Tracker and Other Interactive Tools
New tools are now available on the MyHealthMedia home page that were previously accessible only within the individual programs. Users can now access the BMI calculator, Portion Size, and Food Fight, an interactive tool that matches a user’s food choice and physical activity option and calculates the amount of time required to burn off those food calories. A new pedometer tracking tool links to HealthMedia’s highly successful Balance™ weight management program that allows participants to set goals for steps, distance, and calories while tracking their activity using the Omron Omron HJ-720ITC pedometer. In less than two months, HealthMedia employees participating in the company’s own walking program have logged more than 3.1 million steps using their Omron pedometers.
“We are filling enormous industry gaps for areas such as depression, insomnia, pain, and binge eating, so we can treat the entire person, and we know physical activity is a key ingredient to good overall health,” said HealthMedia President and CEO Ted Dacko. “By adding useful and interactive tools such as the pedometer tracker, we are helping people add years and quality to their lives, and that is what the HealthMedia revolution is all about.”
Raising the Bar for a High-Quality Customer and User Experience
Using the messaging and graphic components from the HealthMedia® Succeed™ health risk assessment (HRA), customers can now use their own data to leverage HealthMedia’s highly tailored and effective recruitment strategy and drive participants into programs outside of the HealthMedia suite. Also available is a new branding and product renaming capability, which customers can use in coordination with several HMI programs in English and Spanish.
New program reports and summaries have also been developed to offer customers a more efficient self-reporting process. These new tools feature updated content and layout, engaging new imaging, and more visually-appealing and comprehensive charts and graphs. HealthMedia has also refined its process for Single Sign On (SSO) and private labeling for a greater level of efficiency. In addition to Internet Explorer®, HealthMedia has also added browser support capabilities to include ASG-Safari® for Mac and Firefox® for both Mac and PC.
About HealthMedia, Inc.
HealthMedia, Inc. the world’s innovator in combining advanced technology and behavioral science to effectively emulate a health coach via the web applies its revolutionary Fusion™ technology to address the five most problematic pain points facing the health industry today: participation, scalability, costs, efficacy, and return on investment. HealthMedia’s suite of interventions provides automated web-based coaching for wellness, disease management, behavioral health, and medication adherence with proven outcomes, increased compliance, reduced medical utilization, and increased productivity – boosting profitability for health plans, employers, pharmaceutical companies, and behavioral health organizations. Clients include Kaiser Permanente, Johnson & Johnson, Daiichi Sankyo, Fresh & Easy Neighborhood Market, Inc., Community First Health Plans, and nine Blue Cross Blue Shield organizations across the United States. HealthMedia partners include APS Healthcare, Corphealth, Health Dialog, Wellsource, and SHPS. For more information visit www.healthmedia.com.
Editorial Contact
HealthMedia, Inc. Contact:
Caren Kenney 508.942.4407
ckenney@healthmedia.com
Secondary Contact
Mia Cupp
Corporate Communications Manager
734-536-2006
mcupp@healthmedia.com