Study Reveals $40 Billion in Potential Savings in Healthcare Costs
NEW YORK, Nov. 10, 2014 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- The Jeffrey Modell Foundation (JMF) is launching software capable of saving up to $40 billion in unnecessary healthcare costs. After conducting a three year study, this highly advanced screening tool will be introduced to major healthcare organizations in 2015.
The "SPIRIT®" Analyzer (Software for Primary Immunodeficiency Recognition, Intervention and Tracking) can screen up to one million patients in 30 minutes, identifying a potential Primary Immunodeficiency (PI), a genetic disorder of the immune system that causes increased susceptibility to infections that are often chronic, debilitating and sometimes fatal.
It is estimated by the U.S. National Institutes of Health (NIH) that as many as 3-6 million Americans are affected by PI, and most are not aware of the underlying cause of their repeated infections.
In an effort to expand awareness and early recognition of PI's, JMF developed the "10 Warning Signs of Primary Immunodeficiency" which are now used in over than 45 countries around the world. The SPIRIT® Analyzer matches more than 350 weighted ICD-9 codes to the 10 warning signs and automatically calculates risk points to establish low, medium, and high-risk categories for patients in a hospital or payer database. Those at high-risk are recommended for further testing.
Functionality and efficacy of the new software was beta-tested during the study by using the IMS Health LifeLink Claims Database, which includes medical and pharmaceutical claims for over 60 million unique patients from 90 health plans across the United States. A sampling of 2,056,857 patients in the IMS Database were screened using the SPIRIT® Analyzer, and the data showed 1:478 had 2 or more of the 10 Warning Signs and 1:583 were scored as high risk, consistent with NIH estimates of incidence and prevalence.
The study protocol provided for surveys to be completed by physician-experts at the Jeffrey Modell Centers Network (JMCN). Each was asked to examine records of PI patients one year before and one year after diagnosis. The results showed significant reductions in acute and chronic infections, pneumonias, hospital and emergency room visits, days on antibiotics, days in the hospital and school/work days missed, after proper diagnosis and treatment. Clinical outcomes and quality of life dramatically improved.
Healthcare costs for each category were identified from U.S. Government websites. The study demonstrated that annually an undiagnosed patient costs the healthcare system an average of $108,462 more than a diagnosed patient. The study concluded that the cost of undiagnosed patients with PI in the U.S. represents more than $40 billion in unnecessary healthcare costs.
The study was peer reviewed and published in a leading scientific journal.
About Jeffrey Modell Foundation
Vicki and Fred Modell established the Jeffrey Modell Foundation in 1987, in memory of their son Jeffrey, who died at the age of fifteen from complications of Primary Immunodeficiency -- a genetic condition that is chronic, serious, and often fatal.
JMF is a global nonprofit organization dedicated to early diagnosis, meaningful treatments and, ultimately, cures through research, physician education, public awareness, advocacy, patient support, and newborn screening. The Jeffrey Modell Centers Network (JMCN) includes 600 physicians at 248 academic institutions, in 206 cities, 78 countries, spanning 6 continents and growing.
For more information about PI, visit www.info4pi.org or email the Jeffrey Modell Foundation at [email protected].
Press Release
Media Contacts:
Vicki Modell, Jeffrey Modell Foundation, (212) 819-0200
Fred Modell, Jeffrey Modell Foundation, (212) 819-0200
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SOURCE Jeffrey Modell Foundation
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