DPS Health Leads New Direction for Population Health with Focus on "Emergent-Risk" Population

LOS ANGELES, April 6, 2015 /PRNewswire/ -- After eight years of collecting data-driven insights from clinical research and co-innovation partnerships, DPS Health, a leader in digital behavior change interventions for Emergent-Risk populations, is leading a new direction in population health strategies by focusing on the "Emergent-Risk" population. Comprised of patients with early-stage chronic conditions, this population is facing health risks that, if left unmanaged, could turn into a lifetime of compounding conditions, compounding impacts on quality of life, and compounding costs of care. 

According to DPS Health CEO, Adam Kaufman, PhD, "For many years, population health strategies have served the healthy and the very sick. We've now identified the need and opportunity to serve a third group: the Emergent-Risk population. DPS Health is the first organization to address this challenge by focusing our research and innovation on both the clinical risk to patients and the financial risk to healthcare organizations."

Although familiar with the clinical risk associated with those experiencing early-stage chronic conditions, healthcare organizations have yet to quantify the cost—and fewer have planned for its future impact on the healthcare system. According to DPS Health's own research, without intervention, individuals in the Emergent-Risk population will get sicker, utilize more healthcare services, and cost the system an additional $1,000 and $3,500 per person, per year in preventable expenses. With 80 million people in this population, that is an additional $80 to $280 billion dollars in yearly healthcare costs.     

DPS Health is collaborating with partners who are innovating in the same direction, including the National Council on Aging (NCOA), an organization dedicated to improving the health and economic security of older adults. Both companies are countering the underlying problem: in today's healthcare system, chronically ill patients are classified into disease populations and supported by disease specialists, but most of these patients have two or more chronic conditions that are accelerating due to lifestyle challenges, mental stress, and less than optimal self-management. 

"Regardless of their initial condition, every chronically ill patient shares a common challenge: the self-management of one's own health," said Neal Kaufman, MD, chief medical officer, DPS Health. "To address this challenge, DPS Health and its partners have developed a new class of behavior change programs focused on Health Self-Management.  Within these programs, individuals develop the skills and habits required to 1. Embrace a healthy lifestyle, 2. Elevate mental fitness, and 3. Effectively manage the impact of conditions on their personal and professional lives.  As a result, Emergent-Risk individuals maximize health and arrest their trajectory of compounding conditions and compounding cost of care."  

According to Jay Greenberg, CEO of NCOA Services, "These individuals are much better served by a healthcare system that views each individual as a whole person and treats each individual with a whole solution specifically designed for the Emergent-Risk population."

Adam Kaufman adds, "Based on the data we've seen, we predict that in five years, the majority of healthcare organizations will have adopted this new strategy for population health. But Kaufman notes, "All data aside, it's important to remember one thing:  consumers value health more than care.  In a post-reform world, the key to value is a new direction for population health."

Beginning this month, DPS Health will present its research on the Emergent-Risk population and implications for healthcare in conference presentations and in private briefings. To schedule a presentation or briefing, contact Adam Kaufman at [email protected].

About DPS Health    
Since 2004, DPS Health has innovated to serve the Emergent-Risk population and has been recognized as a pioneer in web-enabled consumer engagement, behavior change, and health self-management. The company is focused on today's no. 1 health challenge: compounding chronic conditions.  Its population strategies are designed to slow the progression of existing conditions and prevent the addition of new conditions. Its clinically-proven programs, such as Virtual Lifestyle Management™, improve health outcomes, elevate consumers' perception of value, and reduce the cost of care. For additional information, visit www.dpshealth.com.

SOURCE DPS Health

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