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Financial losses plague physician group practices nationwide. They are increasingly facing serious challenges related to generating revenue and achieving financial success. This may lead some to believe that investments in technological advances and improved care coordination and quality are not warranted. However, many experts, including Donald Fisher, PhD, the American Medical Group Association president and CEO, disagree.

More and more, payers are paying attention to hospital readmission rates and basing reimbursements on those rates. Solutions that address physician group practice needs to improve care quality, enhance the physician/patient relationship and increase revenue are needed.

Through thoughtful implementation of our enabling technology platform that improves care coordination and processes and decreases operational burden, we help physician practice groups improve care quality to ensure proper revenue generation and financial success. We do this by reducing operational expenses; expanding the reach, efficiency and effectiveness of staff and programs and improving patient satisfaction.

There is no other remote monitoring solution like the Pharos Solution. Our difference includes:

Device-free, technology-based, enabling platform

Tel-Assurance is a cost-effective, technology-based platform solution that does not use special equipment. Participants use any available telephone (land line, cell phone or payphone) or internet connection and basic health measurement tools, such as a generic bathroom scale or glucometer, to gather and report basic symptom information. This means that system access remains high, the cost remains low and your care managers do not have to deploy or retrieve any equipment, or worry about equipment infection control issues or special equipment to accommodate language, vision or literacy impairment challenges.

A recent article in eweek.com reported that remote monitoring can save money (an estimated $4 billion per year in heart failure expenses alone) and lives, but that the equipment that most remote monitoring companies use is difficult to operate and too expensive, at an estimated $150 per month.

Supports provider engagement in care coordination and facilitates physician/patient communication

Delivering better care coordination through a new model called the Medical Home is drawing increased attention as a potential “fix” for our healthcare system: The medical home model demands frequent, efficient communication between patients and providers to allow for timely treatment plan effectiveness assessment, access to services and intervention, thus preventing more costly utilization, such as hospital or Emergency Department admission. The Tel-Assurance system cost-effectively provides a simple and flexible mode for this critical communication.

Fosters loyalty

Tel-Assurance remote-monitoring is designed to help provider systems foster patient loyalty as each interaction patients have with the system is custom branded with your logo, messaging and marks. This includes our phone system, website and all printed communications. In today’s challenging healthcare environment, revenues can be increased by improving patient loyalty.

Tel-Enrollment turn-key enrollment and retention (optional program)

Unlike other remote monitoring companies, Pharos partners with you to maximize the success of your program through a Pharos-managed enrollment and retention campaign to encourage maximum program participation.

Proven

Our solution is the most proven solution in the market today. Below are highlights of results realized by two Physician Group Practices as part of the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Service’s (CMS) Medicare Physician Group Practice (PCP) demonstration.

Park Nicollet Health Services, an integrated delivery system headquartered in Minneapolis, Minnesota achieved the lowest heart failure mortality at 30 days in the state of Minnesota, and the lowest 1% nationally. Other notable results include:

• Between 40 to 50 averted hospital admissions each month
• Medical cost savings for Medicare of $2.6+ million annually
• 59% reduction in hospitalization of enrolled heart failure patients

The Billings Clinic Heart Failure Clinic (The Clinic) in Billings, Montana reported:

• 44% reduction in hospitalization of enrolled heart failure patients
• Total cost savings of $3+ million, including $2.4+ million reduction in Medicare billings, between January 2006 and July 2007
• More efficient case management by leveraging the technology to care for an additional 100 to 200 patients with current staffing