DMAA Conference - Denver 2006

This was my first DMAA conference visit, at the onset I thought the DMAA conference would be a small gig with less than 300 attendees. Once I landed in Denver I realized that this was indeed a mini HIMSS conference. The attendence was significant, atlease beat my expectations.

Every pharma, large IDNs seem to have spun off their own subsidiary running disease management services. A few notable exihibitors were

1. Kaiser Permanente Healthy solutions
2. Healthways
3. Life Masters
4. Matria

The use of technology to deliver disease management services was the core theme I noticed. From innovative use of pill boxes that track compliance to implantable device integration the solutions were focused on Payers and engaging the chronic care population.

Wipro Partners with Healthsciences for Pay for Performance Offering

Wipro partners with HealthSciences Institute to build an integrated delivery platform for US Pay-for-Performance Programs & Health Plans


Bangalore, November 08, 2006 Wipro Technologies, the Global IT Services Business of Wipro Ltd (NYSE: WIT) and HealthSciences Institute today announced the launch of “Accelerated Practice Improvement” service for the US Health Plans market.

"Accelerating Practice Improvement” is designed to assist Health Plans in US, implement Pay-for-Performance Incentive (P4P) programs for primary & specialty care physician practices.

Dr. Blake Andersen, President and CEO, HealthSciences Institute and Chronic Care Group, said, "By partnering with a global services leader such as Wipro, we have created a customizable, scalable, cost-effective process and an integrated delivery platform for systematically assessing gaps and supporting physician practice performance improvement. To date, there’s been strong interest by both health plans and pay for performance programs in the U.S.”

“Accelerating Practice Improvement” features a set of tools, knowledgebase and frameworks that would help health plans assess the physician groups’ adoption of KPIs, benchmark the same, implement improvement frame-works and guidelines of organizations like Institute of Medicine, the Institute for Healthcare Improvement, and the MacColl Institute for Healthcare Innovation, and Bridges to Excellence along with evidence on top performing physician practices. “Accelerating Practice Improvement” also includes partner engagement and program & change management tools to help practices manage demonstrated barriers to implementation and sustainability.

Susheel Ladwa, Practice Leader for Healthcare - North America, Wipro Technologies said “With the raising medical costs in US and the increasing need for better outcomes, Pay-for-performance is here to stay, and health plans need a scalable, transportable platform that would enable them effectively manage the program across primary and specialty care physicians. And clearly, this framework and technology extends itself to the care delivery networks as well”

Physician practices face the daunting task of trying to translate chronic care improvement models into their practices in the absence of the implementation and project management methodologies, tools and resources that are routinely used in most other industries and settings. Most physician practices, particularly small ones, do not have the resources to lead these types of improvement projects.

Wipro’s Health & Life Sciences Team has been a global information technology leader, having developed and implemented a number of performance-based technology solutions for re-engineering health care.

Wipro’s engagement experience with leading organizations across the healthcare value chain in US have indicated that successful performance improvement efforts are reliant not only on top notch IT platforms and solutions but also on deep domain and process knowledge and program management expertise., but also on key enablers solid execution, change management initiatives. The partnership with HealthSciences will help Wipro deliver more sustainable and better integrated performance improvement solutions to health plan customers.

HealthSciences and Chronic Care Group have led a number of physician performance improvement engagements in the U.S. and Canada, including most recently, ImproveHF - the largest outpatient cardiology heart failure improvement project to date involving over 200 U.S. cardiology practices.

HealthSciences Institute

HealthSciences Institute and Chronic Care Group, help health care payers, health systems, and providers design and implement health care performance improvement and disease management solutions to improve the value of health care delivered to consumers and purchasers. HealthSciences’ professional disease management certification program, patient engagement products, and health care consulting services have been selected by some of the largest private and public health care organizations in and outside of the U.S.


About Wipro

Wipro Technologies, a division of Wipro Limited (NYSE:WIT) is the first PCMM Level 5 and SEI CMM Level 5 certified IT Services organization globally. Wipro is one of the largest product engineering and support service providers worldwide. Wipro provides comprehensive research and development services, IT solutions and services, including systems integration, Information Systems outsourcing, package implementation, software application development and maintenance services to corporations globally.

Wipro Announces Partnership with BeWell Mobile for Cell Phone based disease management

BeWell Mobile Forms Partnership With Wipro for Disease Management

SAN FRANCISCO--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Dec 5, 2006 - BeWell Mobile today made two major announcements that solidify its position as the leading provider of patient engagement software delivered via cellphones:

-- A partnership with Wipro Technologies (NYSE:WIT) to offer cellphone based disease management services and
-- Recognition as a finalist in QUALCOMM's annual Wireless Reach(TM) global initiative which identifies outstanding developers of BREW(R) software applications.
"Coupled with the on-going success of our pilot projects," said Dr. Peter Boland, BeWell director of corporate development, "the deal with Wipro and the recognition by QUALCOMM position us to aggressively pursue the enormous opportunities available in the healthcare industry."
The BeWell/Wipro partnership will offer its services and platform to health plans, disease management organizations, Pharma, employers, Pharma benefit managers and healthcare providers.

"The Wipro/BeWell partnership," said Susheel Ladwa, Wipro Technologies practice leader for healthcare-North America, "will provide real-time communications abilities for disease management programs."

The QUALCOMM nomination was the most recent recognition for BeWell, a San Francisco-based company founded in 2004. In June 2006, BeWell was named winner of the prestigious ABBY, awarded annually to organizations that demonstrate dramatic improvements in the way healthcare is delivered.

In the Wireless Reach competition, QUALCOMM Inc. (NASDAQ:QCOM), a leading developer and innovator of Code Division Multiple Access (CDMA) and other advanced wireless technologies, selected 21 companies (from six countries) as finalists for the award which will be made in February 2007.

"Our applications are being recognized because, more than simply transmitting data between provider and patient, we have created a system that takes advantage of the increasing availability and usage of cellphones as the core communications device across nearly all population demographics," said Boland.

"QUALCOMM is proud to recognize the finalists for their dedication to creating BREW applications that will have a positive impact on people's lives," said Dr. Paul E. Jacobs, chief executive officer of QUALCOMM.

In naming BeWell the ABBY winner, the Adaptive Business Leaders Organization also cited the company for its innovative use of cellphone technology in the management of chronic diseases and in the provision of patient outreach communication and medical research support.
BeWell is currently involved in pilot studies with San Mateo Medical Center and Clinics (asthma management) in the San Francisco Bay Area and with one of the largest HMOs in the country (diabetes management).

About BeWell Mobile
BeWell Mobile (www.bewellmobile.com) provides a technology platform that combines flexibility, immediacy, choice, real-time availability and cost-effectiveness to patients and those who treat them. By employing mobile phones, BeWell collects relevant and accurate data from patients where they are -- at home, work, school or on the go. As a result, healthcare providers can track an individual patient's progress and determine if personal intervention is required. At the same time, patients have access to information that helps them stay in touch with their goals and knowledgeable about their regimen.

About QUALCOMM
QUALCOMM Incorporated (www.qualcomm.com) is a leader in developing and delivering innovative digital wireless communications products and services based on CDMA and other advanced technologies. Headquartered in San Diego, QUALCOMM is included in the S&P 500 Index and is a 2006 FORTUNE 500(R) company traded on The NASDAQ Stock Market(R) under the ticker symbol QCOM.

About Wipro Technologies
Wipro Technologies is a division of Wipro Limited (NYSE:WIT). Wipro provides comprehensive research and development services, IT solutions and other services, including information systems outsourcing, package implementation, software application development and maintenance to corporations globally.
QUALCOMM and BREW are registered trademarks of QUALCOMM Incorporated. Wireless Reach is a trademark of QUALCOMM Incorporated. QUALCOMM is a registered trademark of QUALCOMM Incorporated. CDMA2000 is a registered trademark of the Telecommunications Industry Association (TIA USA).

Contact
BeWell MobilePeter Boland, 510-524-4521peter@bewellmobile.com