Future of Mayo Clinic Custom e-Health Package Explored and Planned at User Conference

Wednesday, October 29, 2003

ROCHESTER, Minn. — Mayo Clinic e-Health experts and companies that participate with the Mayo Clinic Custom e-Health Package gathered to exchange ideas and discuss the future of e-Health during a two-day user conference at Mayo Clinic.

The meeting was attended by representatives of corporations including Intel, Boeing, ExxonMobil, General Mills, Blue Cross Blue Shield of Illinois, Towers Perrin and Coors Brewing Co. Sponsored by Mayo Clinic Health Management Resources, it was a chance for companies to see how others have integrated health information and tools into their own organization's health and wellness programs. This was Mayo Clinic's first-ever conference for users of its Custom e-Health Package. Based on positive feedback from attendees, another conference is being planned for next year.

The Mayo Clinic Custom e-Health Package is an online health management solution that combines health information and interactive programs with company-specific customizations, the Mayo Clinic Health Risk Assessment and reporting tools that allow organizations to track and evaluate their online program. The online service enables them to better measure and manage the health of their members or employees. Organizations implementing the service receive aggregate reports on the health and health risks of their members or employees. The site is customized for each organization, including content and links to organization-specific information and health initiatives.

"The Internet is a powerful and resourceful tool companies are using to meet employee health management goals ranging from identifying key population health risks to delivering targeted and timely interventions that can help organizations better control health-care costs," said Brooks Edwards, M.D., medical editor of Mayo Clinic Online Services. "In the past 10 years, I've seen great strides in online tools that do everything from educating people about their key health risks to providing personally relevant tools for managing chronic conditions and changing unhealthy behaviors."

Dr. Edwards was a keynote presenter at the conference and described how trends in society are driving e-Health applications. The Internet is a key factor enabling the health-care consumer revolution. It helps patients better understand and manage their health and helps physicians better serve patients with innovative care.

Experts from several companies presented case studies of best practices in implementing e-Health programs. They explained how they are integrating online tools with health and benefits strategies companywide, how they are achieving five times the industry average participation rate with their Health Risk Assessment (HRA) implementation strategies, and the incentive strategies they've used to boost participation rates.

A conference highlight was the opportunity for attendees to help steer the developmental direction of the Mayo Clinic Custom e-Health Package. Through handheld audience response devices, attendees recorded their preferences for future enhancements ranging from interactive program priorities to personalization to HRA priority enhancements.

"We have combined up-to-date medical information with the latest in behavior change theory and created powerful tools to help companies with health management issues," said Phil Hagen, M.D., medical director for Mayo Clinic Health Management Resources and a presenter at the conference.

In addition to the Mayo Clinic Custom e-Health Package, Mayo Clinic Health Management Resources provides organizations with books, newsletters and telephone health management tools.

For more information or to see a demo of the Mayo Clinic Custom e-Health Package, go to www.MayoClinicHMR.com.

Carol Lammers
507-284-5005 (days)
507-284-2511 (evenings)
e-mail: newsbureau@mayo.edu

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