Aetna, Cardinal Health Specialty Solutions Alliance Delivers More Cost-Effective, Patient-Centered Cancer Care

LAS VEGAS, June 12, 2013 /PRNewswire/ -- At the Association for Health Insurance Plan's (AHIP) conference this Thursday, medical directors from Cardinal Health Specialty Solutions and Aetna (NYSE: ΑET) will provide expert insight into how collaboration between payers and physicians can directly lead to better cancer care that is more effective and costs less.

Beginning in 2010, Aetna and Cardinal Health Specialty Solutions established cancer care  programs in Florida, Georgia, Maryland, Michigan, Northern Virginia, Pennsylvania and Washington, D.C.  The programs are built with the local medical community and use clinical pathways, or evidence-based treatment regimens, to help guide care.

"Our joint efforts have increased physician engagement and helped doctors make treatment decisions based on medical research and evidence. That leads to better care and better outcomes for patients," says Michael Kolodziej, M.D., national medical director, Oncology Solutions for Aetna.

At the AHIP Institute 2013, Kolodziej and Bruce Feinberg, M.D., chief medical officer, Oncology for Cardinal Health Specialty Solutions, will expand on the success of the programs and discuss:

• Prevailing health care trends that make traditional cancer care costs unsustainable
• Best practices for engaging all stakeholders –  including patients, physicians and payers – in collaborative processes that can improve both the quality and economics of cancer care
• The important role that decision support technology tools play in improving collaboration and expanding the use of clinical pathways

"The success of our Clinical Pathways programs prove that when payers and physicians work together, they can drive innovations that benefit all players in the care continuum, including – most importantly –  the patient," said Feinberg. "We're committed to sharing the best practices that have driven our Clinical Pathways success. We want to expand these successful strategies to new geographic areas, additional forms of cancer and new disease states."

About Cardinal Health Specialty Solutions
Cardinal Health Specialty Solutions provides clinical, reimbursement, technology and distribution services that help health care professionals, payers and pharmaceutical and biotech companies improve the quality and cost-effectiveness of caring for patients who are managing complex diseases.  Cardinal Health Specialty Solutions helps customers alleviate day-to-day administrative burdens, optimize business functions and partner to implement new innovations that move their businesses forward.  To learn more, visit http://www.cardinalhealth.com/SpecialtySolutions.

About Cardinal Health
Headquartered in Dublin, Ohio, Cardinal Health, Inc. (NYSE: CAH) is a $108 billion healthcare services company that improves the cost-effectiveness of health care. As the business behind health care, Cardinal Health helps pharmacies, hospitals, ambulatory surgery centers and physician offices focus on patient care while  reducing costs, enhancing efficiency and improving quality. Cardinal Health is an essential link in the health care supply chain, providing pharmaceuticals and medical products to more than 60,000 locations each day. The company is also a leading manufacturer of medical and surgical products, including gloves, surgical apparel and fluid management products. In addition, the company supports the growing diagnostic industry by supplying medical products to clinical laboratories and operating the nation's largest network of radiopharmacies that dispense products to aid in the early diagnosis and treatment of disease. Ranked #19 on the Fortune 500, Cardinal Health employs more than 30,000 people worldwide. More information about the company may be found at cardinalhealth.com and @CardinalHealth on Twitter.

SOURCE Cardinal Health