Good Samaritan Society Transforms Care For Senior Citizens Using IBM Big Data And Analytics

ARMONK, N.Y., July 30, 2014 /PRNewswire/ -- IBM (NYSE: IBM) today announced that The Evangelical Lutheran Good Samaritan Society is using IBM Big Data and Analytics technology to transform health and wellness services for seniors so that they can live safely and more independently in their homes.

Today, 80 percent of older Americans suffer from one or more chronic diseases, such as diabetes, hypertension and asthma[1].  Managing these complex illnesses is costly both to patients and to healthcare systems, and as life expectancy rises, there is an urgent need for affordable healthcare options.

The Good Samaritan Society is partnering with IBM to better manage services for clients enrolled in its LivingWell@Home program.  LivingWell@Home uses sensor technology to promote wellness and safety for clients in their homes, helping identify developing medical conditions before they become problems. The sensor devices, no more noticeable than a light switch, can detect how active someone is, their sleep patterns, or if they've had a fall – highlighting critical risk factors or condition deterioration – enabling Good Samaritan to respond and provide better care.

Using IBM's Big Data and Analytics software, the program consolidates sensor information along with clinical and operational data on patients. This data is gathered 24/7 and delivered securely online via an integrated dashboard to a licensed nurse who reviews it daily. Staff at The Good Samaritan Society can then check for changes in a client's normal routine that might indicate a developing medical condition or a safety concern so issues can be addressed in real time before they become problems.

The solution enables Good Samaritan Society caregivers to proactively monitor, manage and collaborate to ensure successful home-based eldercare for their clients. The program's wellness plans are web-based and EMR neutral, and can be used regardless of care setting by clients, doctors and family members. Over time, the Good Samaritan Society plans to add IBM predictive analytics to allow clinicians to predict when someone might be at risk for a health event and take steps to intervene prior to the event actually occurring.

"Partnering with IBM, we're working to enable our clients to take control of their health and make the choice to safely stay in their homes, preventing or delaying the need for a higher level of care," said Rustan Williams, VP & CIO at The Good Samaritan Society. "For many, this is a more affordable option and provides a much better quality of life."

The Good Samaritan Society will also use IBM software for its bundled payments and Client Advocate program. The Society will combine information captured by the client advocate and care costs from other applications and sources. In the future, analytics will be used for various diagnosis-related groups, modes of care, and other services to help Good Samaritan define additional cost effective care solutions to prevent readmissions and other potentially negative outcomes.

"Using IBM Big Data and Analytics, the staff at Good Samaritan Society can now spend more time focusing on what's most important -- improving the quality of life for their clients," said Doug Hunt, General Manager of Enterprise Content Management at IBM. "Being able to capture and analyze data from multiple sources such as medical devices and sensors is going to help transform the kind of care that seniors can receive."

IBM has established the world's deepest portfolio of Big Data and Analytics technology. Today, more than 400 IBM mathematicians and 6,000 industry solution business partners are helping clients use big data to transform their organizations. Additionally, IBM secured 1,500 Big Data and Analytics-related patents in 2013 alone, and continues to engage and build solutions and skills across a broad community of 1,000 university partnerships, 135,000 Big Data University enrollments and a worldwide network of nine Analytic Solutions Centers. IBM has made a multi-billion dollar investment in big data and analytics -- $24 billion since 2005 thru both acquisitions and R&D -- to extend its leadership position in the strategic market for business analytics.

About Good Samaritan
Headquartered in Sioux Falls, South Dakota, The Evangelical Lutheran Good Samaritan Society is the nation's largest not-for-profit provider of senior care and well-being services. It operates in 240 locations, serving approximately 27,000 people throughout 24 states. The society's more than 20,000 employees provide a wide range of elder care services including rehabilitation/skilled care, senior living, and home care.

Good Samaritan relies on IBM Enterprise Content Management and IBM Case Manager running on IBM Power AIX.

For more information about IBM Big Data & Analytics, visit http://ibm.co/bigdataanalytics 

Follow IBM Big Data & Analytics on Twitter @IBMbigdata and @IBMAnalytics.  

For more insights on Big Data & Analytics visit IBM's Smarter Planet blog. 

[1] http://www.apa.org/about/gr/issues/aging/mental-health.aspx

Media Contacts:
Steve Milmore
IBM Media Relations
978-399-7347
[email protected]

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SOURCE IBM