Asthma Program Overview

How the Program Works | Facts You Need to Know | Compliance Management | National Guidelines | Asthma Outcomes | High-Risk Program

How the Program Works

Alere’s Asthma Program provides a team of respiratory specialty nurses who proactively contact and work with asthma patients to develop individualized care plans according to the severity of their illness. With educational materials and telephonic interactions, we help people with asthma:

• Become educated about their disease
• Recognize the early symptoms of an asthma attack
• Learn how to prevent an attack or what to do during an attack
• Identify their specific “asthma triggers,” such as dust, mold, cold air, cigarette smoke, allergies or exercise and how to manage those triggers (e.g., taking medication before exercise)
• Educate them about medication therapies available and the need to carry a “rescue” inhaler in the event of an episode
• Know when to seek help and understand that they must seek medical attention when asthma symptoms do not improve
• Prevent disease progression, disability and the development of other chronic conditions
• Change unhealthy lifestyle behaviors that negatively impact progress
• Recognize and control asthma symptoms that lead to the worsening of their condition

Other services available within the program:

• Management of co-morbidities
• 24/7 call line staffed by registered nurses
• Peak flow meters if covered by contract
• Access to smoking cessation services

Through our specialized nurses and program interventions, the Asthma Program can provide significant cost savings for clients through more appropriate utilization of medical/pharmacy benefits, reduction in unnecessary ER visits and prevention of future hospitalizations. This approach leads to reduced absenteeism, increased productivity and will ultimately enhance client and participant satisfaction.

Facts You Need to Know

Close to 20 million Americans (6.2 million children) have asthma.1 The condition accounts for an estimated 12.8 million lost school days in children and 24.5 million lost work days in adults.2 Asthma ranks within the top prevalent conditions causing limitation of activity and costs the nation roughly $16.1 billion annually in both direct medical and indirect costs, such as lost productivity.3

Asthma is the leading diagnosis for hospital admission and the most common reason for school absenteeism among children.4 In comparison to children without the disease, asthmatic children annually miss 10 million more school days, make 13 million more doctor visits and account for 200,000 more hospitalizations.5

Despite the availability of numerous drugs, statistics show that asthma is still poorly managed. In a recent survey, for instance, 48 percent of respondents said asthma limits their ability to participate in recreational activities and sports. Another 36 percent admitted the disease limits their physical exertion while 25 percent said asthma affects their social lives.

But with proper adherence to current scientifically proven guidelines, most people with asthma can lead normal lives.

Compliance Management

Our program is designed to help patients comply with their doctor’s plan of care, which involves several key clinical performance indicators based on national standards. While working with patients, we track their adherence to these standards and report back measurable results to show program impact on patient compliance. For patients with asthma, we monitor the following:

Asthma-specific CPIs

• Daily controller usage
• Inhaled corticosteroid
• Inhaled short acting bronchodilator
• Asthma management plan
• Sleep disruption due to asthma symptoms
• Ability to exercise without symptoms

Standard CPIs for all Care Solutions Programs

• Body mass index (BMI)
• Blood pressure
• Lipid management
• Physical activity
• Tobacco cessation
• Flu vaccination
• Pneumonia vaccination
• Preventive screenings (age and gender specific)

National Guidelines

We utilize nationally recognized clinical guidelines, along with the latest clinical research and advancements in care, for each condition to drive our interventions. Alere’s Scientific Advisory Board, composed of our industry experts, guides and directs appropriate protocols for all programs.

The Asthma Program is based upon national guidelines from the:

• National Asthma Education and Prevention Program
• Institute for Clinical Systems Improvement

Asthma Outcomes

Alere’s Asthma Program produced the following results for a range of clients:

Cost Savings:

• Reduced emergency room admissions by 27 percent and per member per month (PMPM) emergency room costs by 33 percent
• Reduced hospitalizations by 38 percent and PMPM hospitalization costs by 42 percent
• Reduced PMPM medical costs by 7.25 percent
• Reduced PMPM pharmaceutical costs by 13 percent
• Reduced overall PMPM costs by 15 percent
• Reduced hospital days by 17 percent

Clinical Performance Indicators:

• Increased appropriate use of medications by 100 percent
• Increased appropriate use of anti-inflammatory medications by 49 percent

High-Risk Program

Key differences include a Quality of Life Survey at enrollment and six months after the onset of the program, and a Patient Satisfaction Survey after six months. Additionally, these participants receive more telephonic outreach and coaching calls.