WOONSOCKET, R.I. and
ARMONK, N.Y., July 30, 2015 /PRNewswire/ -- CVS Health
(NYSE: CVS) and IBM (NYSE: IBM) today announced they will use
predictive analytics and Watson
cognitive computing to transform care management services for
patients with chronic disease.
The partnership will enable health care practitioners, including
those across the CVS Health enterprise, to use Watson to advance care management beyond
programs and services typically available today. Watson's cognitive computing capabilities
interact in natural language, read and understand vast amounts of
information, and continuously learn. The offering would enable
health care practitioners to quickly and easily gain insights from
an unprecedented mix of health information sources such as medical
health records, pharmacy and medical claims information,
environmental factors, and fitness devices to help individuals stay
on track with their care and meet health goals.
The joint CVS Health/IBM Watson Health solution will be
optimized for use across a wide range of chronic conditions.
Chronic diseases such as hypertension, heart disease, diabetes, and
obesity are the leading cause of death and disability in the U.S.
and represent 86 percent of the nation's $2.9 trillion in annual health
spending.[[1],[2]] The resulting offering will be made
available to insurers and other entities serving the employer and
health plan market and will focus on:
- Helping to predict individuals at risk for declining health who
may benefit from proactive, customized engagement programs;
- Encouraging patients to adopt safe and healthy behaviors,
including adherence to prescribed medicines and healthy lifestyle
regimens; and
- Suggesting appropriate use of cost-effective primary care and
out-patient providers.
The partnership brings together IBM's Watson Health Cloud and
cognitive computing capabilities with both companies' expertise in
predictive analytics and patient engagement. CVS Health also brings
strong insights into medication adherence and pharmacy care.
"CVS Health and IBM are both committed to improving health and
finding ways to engage individuals in their well-being through the
use of information and technology," said Troyen A. Brennan, MD, EVP
and Chief Medical Officer for CVS Health. "This partnership will
enable us to leverage advanced technologies and key health
information to develop a tool that can be applied by a variety of
health care providers such as pharmacists, nurse practitioners at
MinuteClinics or connected health care providers, and that can help
our pharmacy benefit management clients improve member health and
manage cost."
"The capabilities of the IBM Watson Health Cloud, when coupled
with CVS Health's insights into medication utilization and patient
behavior, could prove transformative for the industry," said
Mike Rhodin, senior vice president,
IBM Watson. "Improving care for people with chronic conditions
supports IBM's commitment to make big plays that advance the health
and well-being of the global community. Through the recent
acquisitions of Phytel, Explorys, and Curam we also bring
extraordinary capabilities in patient engagement and population
health, enabling us to deliver a powerful solution that supports
individuals wherever they are, whenever they need it."
About CVS Health
CVS Health (NYSE: CVS) is a pharmacy
innovation company helping people on their path to better health.
Through its 7,800 retail drugstores, nearly 1,000 walk-in medical
clinics, a leading pharmacy benefits manager with more than 70
million plan members, and expanding specialty pharmacy services,
the Company enables people, businesses and communities to manage
health in more affordable, effective ways. This unique integrated
model increases access to quality care, delivers better health
outcomes and lowers overall health care costs. Find more
information about how CVS Health is shaping the future of health at
www.cvshealth.com.
IBM Watson: Pioneering a New Era of
Computing
Watson is the
first commercially available cognitive computing capability
representing a new era in computing. The system, delivered through
the cloud, analyzes high volumes of data, understands complex
questions posed in natural language, and proposes evidence-based
answers. Watson continuously
learns, gaining in value and knowledge over time, from previous
interactions. With the help of Watson, developers and partners are building
apps and services that harness the power of cognitive computing to
transform industries, help professionals do their jobs better, and
solve important challenges.
IBM continues to build on its strengths in cognitive computing,
analytics, security and cloud with IBM Watson Health and the Watson
Health Cloud platform. The unit is helping improve the ability of
doctors, researchers and insurers to innovate by surfacing new
insights from the massive amounts of personal health data being
created daily. The Watson Health Cloud allows this information to
be de-identified, shared and combined with a dynamic and constantly
growing aggregated view of clinical, research and social health
data, while protecting the privacy and security of individuals.
Learn more about this story at:
http://asmarterplanet.com/blog/2015/07/how-watson-can-help-tackle-chronic-disease.html
For more information on IBM Watson Health, visit:
ibm.com/watsonhealth
Check out the IBM Watson press kit at:
http://www-03.ibm.com/press/us/en/presskit/27297.wss
Join the conversation at #ibmwatson and #ibmwatsonhealth. Follow
Watson on Facebook and see
Watson on YouTube and Flickr.
[1] The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention
(2014). Health Expenditures. Retrieved from
http://www.cdc.gov/nchs/fastats/health-expenditures.htm
[2] The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention
(n.d). Chronic Disease and Health Promotion. Retrieved from
http://www.cdc.gov/chronicdisease/index.htm
Contacts:
|
|
Christine
Cramer
|
Christine
Douglass
|
CVS Health
|
IBM
|
(401)
770-3317
|
(415)
535-4479
|
Christine.Cramer@CVSHealth.com
|
cgdouglass@us.ibm.com
|
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SOURCE CVS Health; IBM