New Launch of the Diabetes Texting Program
HARTFORD, CONN., May 24, 2011 /NewsRelease/ - Managing a chronic condition like diabetes needs to fit in and keep pace with today’s increasingly busy lifestyles, said Kyra Bobinet, M.D., MPH, medical director of health and wellness innovation for Aetna. Statistics reveal that two-thirds of Americans use text messaging on a daily basis. Texting reaches people with techniques that are even more convenient and simple for them. Tools and information that can help members make smarter informed decisions about their health care will be sent to their fingertips anywhere they go.
Aetna teamed up with Silverlink Communications to launch the diabetes texting program
Aetna (NYSE: AET) today announced the launch of the special texting program to assist members who have been identified as having diabetes more easily and successfully control their condition and avoid complications. Members who accept participate in the program will get educational text messages and reminders about diabetes screenings and tests, medications, tips on healthy eating and exercising and general health information.
The diabetes texting program is available initially to a small group of members who’ve Aetna medical, pharmacy and disease management benefits. Members who sign-up will receive short text-based messages on their mobile devices over a three-month period. Members will be evaluated on how well to follow four best-practice measures of diabetes management:
- Receive regular A1C screenings which measures blood sugar levels
- Receive an annual LDL screening which shows the amount of bad cholesterol and cardiovascular risk
- Follow instructions for taking medications
- Enroll in an illness management, nurse and health coaching program
Aetna includes a variety of programs in position to help people with chronic conditions, like diabetes. Aetna’s full suite of health and wellness programs as well as mobile technologies that include iPhone, Android and Blackberry apps help members make immediate, informed health care decisions. Aetna teamed up with Silverlink Communications to launch the diabetes texting program. Aetna’s Medicaid plan in Delaware (Delaware Physicians Care) pioneered the use of health-related texting, successfully utilizing it since 2006. Aetna Medicaid currently offers a texting program to diabetic members that provides health information and reminds members to have routine blood testing.
About Aetna
Aetna is among the nation’s leading diversified health care benefits companies, serving approximately 33.8 million people with information and resources to help them make better informed decisions about their health care. Aetna offers a broad range of traditional, voluntary and consumer-directed medical health insurance products and related services, including medical, pharmacy, dental, behavioral health, group life and disability plans, and medical management capabilities and health care management services for Medicaid plans. Our customers include employer groups, individuals, university students, part-time and hourly workers, health plans, governmental units, government-sponsored plans, labor groups and expatriates. To learn more, see www.aetna.com. To learn more about Aetna’s innovative online tools, visit www.aetnatools.com.
Contacts
Aetna
Kate Prout, 215-345-1245
ProutKF@aetna.com
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