Aetna Debuts mHealth Tools for Docs

Doctors participating in Aetna’s Florida network have two new tools in their virtual black bags: alerts to opportunities to improve care and e-prescribing services through a smartphone or tablet.

The mobile alerts and e-prescribing services, supported by NaviNet Mobile Connect, are available at no cost to doctors participating in Aetna’s network.

Mobile technology is changing the way doctors deliver care. According to a 2010 study by Manhattan Research, by 2012, 81% of doctors will have adopted smartphones, and about one-half of this group will use their devices to support everyday administrative tasks in addition to coordinating patient care.

The new services enable doctors to access medical literature and clinical and patient information from Aetna’s claims while with their patients. As a result, the quality and safety of care improves because doctors can do the following:

• identify safety issues, such as medications that should not be taken at the same time;
• talk with their patients about any missed test or checkups;
• talk with their patients about care management programs that could help improve their health and help them understand how to enroll; and
• simplify and speed prescription orders, making it easier for members to pick up prescriptions immediately following their appointment, which helps ensure patients take the medications.
  

“Access to patient and clinical information is critical for doctors to deliver high-quality, effective care. That’s why we’re putting integrated information into doctors’ hands when it’s most effective – when the doctor is in the exam room with the patient,” says Bob Kropp, MD, regional medical director for Aetna.

ActiveHealth Management’s CareEngine® System reviews the available clinical data on patients and compares it to evidence-based guidelines. Doctors in Aetna’s Florida network who subscribe to NaviNet Mobile Connect will now receive Care Considerations, or alerts to opportunities to improve care, on their mobile device. The alerts currently are delivered by e-mail, phone, and fax. Doctors can discuss the alert during the patient visit and instantly notify the CareEngine that an action has been taken to close the gap in care.

The e-prescribing service not only speeds prescription orders, but also provides information about medications and patients’ health plan benefits. The integrated information helps doctors and patients have more effective discussions about treatment plans.

Aetna offers a variety of tools and capabilities that help healthcare professionals work more easily with Aetna and care for their patients. Aetna’s full suite of provider solutions, including mobile-enabled information, helps doctors make immediate, more informed healthcare decisions.

Source: Aetna