New Program Helps Aetna Members Make Informed Decisions When Considering Surgery
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HARTFORD, Conn., June 07, 2012 — Surgery often is the most extreme approach to care for most health conditions, and in many cases, alternative options for care are available. Aetna (NYSE: AET) recently made the Welvie Surgery Decision Support Program available to help Aetna members who are considering surgery work with their health care providers to make the best choices for their unique situations. The online program – which includes easy-to-understand video content – guides members through six steps. The first three steps focus on helping members work with their doctors to determine an accurate diagnosis and understand all of the potential treatment options, including surgery. If surgery is the determined course of treatment, the last three steps help members prepare for the procedure and recovery. “We are consistently looking for ways to help our members become more informed and allow them to take control of their own health care,” said Paul Marchetti, head of Aetna’s National Care Management. “The Welvie decision support program can help members work in concert with their health care provider to make the right decision when surgery is one of the options for care.” Aetna members can access Welvie through Aetna Navigator®, a secure member website. The decision support program provides information related to nearly 60 medical procedures, including lower back surgery, C-section delivery and tonsillectomy. “Surgery should never be taken lightly,” said Welvie Executive Chairman Chip Tooke. “We designed our program to show people that they can take an active part in the surgery process. And when they do, they can help improve the outcome.” Positive Feedback from Employers and Members “As a company that relies on a physically active group of employees, we want to offer programs that can help our employees maintain their health and well-being,” said Randy Moon, Vice President, Benefits and Human Resources Information Services at Lowe’s, which participated in the pilot program. “The Welvie program is a resource for entire families, whether we have employees looking for more information about their own health options or those of a parent, spouse or child. Our employees who used the Welvie program were very satisfied with how easy it was to use and how helpful it was as they were evaluating their health care options, including surgery.” Member satisfaction rates among individuals who used the Welvie tool were also extremely high: • 96 percent were satisfied with how Welvie prepared them for surgery About Welvie Welvie is a pioneering surgery decision support company. Its shared decision-making program helps consumers make fully informed decisions about surgery, while helping employers and health plans ensure patients receive the best outcome, whether they choose surgery or not. About Aetna |
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