New West Physicians Deliver Health Dialog's Award-Winning Decision Aids to Patients

Shared decision making tools to help patients make better, more informed healthcare decisions and improve overall population health

News provided by

Health Dialog

Jan 23, 2017, 08:00 ET

BOSTON, Jan. 23, 2017 /PRNewswire/ -- Health Dialog, a leading provider of total population health management solutions for health plans, risk-bearing providers and self-insured employers, announced today that New West Physicians of Colorado will offer its decision aids to help patients make more informed healthcare decisions. Beginning immediately, New West patients facing spinal stenosis, knee and hip osteoarthritis and other conditions can access Health Dialog's award-winning shared decision making (SDM) tools to understand the benefits and risks of different treatment options. Data show that people who use Health Dialog's SDM programs tend to choose less invasive care, have better outcomes when they choose surgery and report being happier with both their care and their provider.

SDM programs provide evidence-based, unbiased information on treatment options and condition management to support more informed dialog between physicians and patients. New West Physicians promotes Health Dialog's decision aids to patients via its website, http://www.nwphysicians.com/my-health-decision/, social channels and patient newsletter. Patients who access the decision aids benefit from valuable information that is easy to understand, available in multiple formats (web, DVDs and booklets) and showcases real patient experiences. Health Dialog decision aids are regularly reviewed and revised for clinical accuracy by Harvard Medical School doctors.

"We believe that shared decision making forms the foundation of the patient-physician relationship and informs many of our discussions with our patients," said Ken Cohen, MD, FACP and Chief Medical Officer, New West Physicians. "Health Dialog's partnership has allowed us to significantly improve the content and therefore the value of our shared decision making process."

Many of the nation's leading medical organizations endorse the use of SDM tools, including the Institute of Medicine, U.S. Preventative Services Task Force and the American Medical Association. Health Dialog's decision aids have received more than 100 industry awards for content, ease-of-use and design. Historically, they have scored higher than programs offered by other leading commercial vendors on the internationally approved set of criteria to determine patient decision aid quality set forth by the International Patient Decision Aid Standards (IPDAS) Collaboration.

"Payers, patients, physicians, professional societies, government and patient advocacy organizations have praised the power of SDM to help people make better, more informed healthcare decisions," said Web Golinkin, chief executive officer at Health Dialog. "As patient engagement in population health programs challenges even the most successful organizations, forward thinkers like New West Physicians are recognizing SDM as an effective strategy for improving not only a single decision but overall population health success."

About Health Dialog:
Health Dialog Services Corporation is a leading provider of population health management solutions. As a wholly owned subsidiary of Rite Aid Corporation (NYSE: RAD), the company works with the nation's largest health plans, employers and providers to improve the health and wellness of their members, employees, patients and customers while reducing costs and improving performance in key quality measures, such as NCQA's HEDIS and CMS' Stars ratings. Health Dialog's unique capabilities include data analytics, a multi-channel coaching platform, shared decision-making tools and a 24/7 nurse line. For more information, visit www.healthdialog.com.

About New West Physicians:
Physician owned and established in 1994, New West Physicians is the healthcare provider of choice for patients seeking quality health care services in the Denver Metro Area. Each of its 18 offices are certified Level 3 Patient Centered Medical Homes (PCMH), and all eligible providers are National Committee for Quality Assurance (NCQA)-recognized for Heart/Stroke and Diabetes. New West Physicians is the 2015 American Medical Group Association's (AMGA) Acclaim Award recipient, reflecting outstanding achievement in the delivery of care that is safe, effective, efficient, patient-centered, timely and equitable.