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PEMBROKE, MA (October 7, 2010) – Consumer's Medical Resource (CMR), the pioneering company that created Medical Decision Support®
(MDS) – one of the first informed medical decision-making services in the health care industry – released a three-year case study today evaluating the
long-term impact of its Surgery Decision Support™ (SDS) program. The small but compelling case study fills a void in research focused on the long-term
behavioral impact of programs. Results show that 86% of patients who participated in SDS, when queried more than two-and-a-half years later, have maintained
their original treatment decision to either avoid surgery completely or undergo a less invasive procedure with equally good outcomes. The remaining 14%
ultimately required surgery but confirmed they did not need it at the time it was first recommended.
"Our Surgery Decision Support™ program is clearly effective at helping patients avoid unnecessary surgeries improving quality and patient satisfaction,
and generating significant cost savings. One of our customers measured $1.7 million in direct cost savings with only 62 cases” said David J. Hines, President
of Consumer's Medical Resource. He continued, "This study confirms patients can make better treatment decisions when they are given reliable information and
support around their options to create a ‘win-win’ for employers and their employees while improving medical literacy."
The study focused on the frequency of change in participants' original treatment decisions over an average of 31 months or 2.6 years. The seven medical
conditions and their associated surgical procedures tracked and studied were endometriosis (hysterectomy), uterine fibroids (hysterectomy), osteoarthritis
of the hips (joint replacement), osteoarthritis of the knee (joint replacement), low back pain (lumbar surgery), breast cancer (mastectomy) and prostate
cancer (prostatectomy). There were 82 participants in this study, 56 of whom completed surveys. They all completed the SDS program, which included working
one-on-one with physician-led research teams and decision-support specialists who prepare objective information and research tailored to the needs of the
individual. Website tools, print materials and on-going phone support were all part of the program. Notable findings include:
- All 56 participants had avoided surgery or had less invasive procedures at the time they were in the program
- 86% (48 of the 56 individuals) had still avoided or had less invasive surgery 2.6 years later, thus sustaining their original treatment decision
- 100% of the participants were still satisfied with their original treatment decisions
"Employers seeking to better manage the high cost of medical premiums recognize that their employees need to take on more decision-making responsibility.
But with that comes the need to provide them reliable information to make good choices about treatment options. This is especially true for certain surgical
procedures where two or more medically legitimate options exist. "Our data shows that for five common elective surgical procedures, 24% of recommended
surgeries are unnecessary. If these surgeries can be avoided, it translates into significant cost savings for employers in addition to patients getting
significantly better care," said Hines.
The session, "Using incentives to improve elective surgery decision-making: Improving quality, empowering employees, and reducing health care costs"
will be presented at the NBGH 24th National Conference on Health, Productivity and Human Captial in Washington, D.C., on September 15, 2010.
About CMR's Surgery Decision Support™ Program
Surgery Decision Support™ (SDS) is a highly targeted program that focuses on addressing specific medical conditions and associated elective surgical procedures
where two or more medically acceptable options exist and where patients have legitimate choices among treatment options. It is the result of CMR's work in these
surgical areas for more than 10 years where it has been able to demonstrate high impact results.
SDS improves the quality of medical care and lowers medical costs in two ways. First, when SDS participants receive evidence-based research and access to top
medical experts, they see that multiple, reasonable treatment options are available to them; as a result, a significant number of them choose to avoid surgery in
favor of less invasive procedures. And second, for those moving ahead with surgery, CMR helps them choose the best hospitals and providers by using its doctor and
hospital selection guides. This cuts down on medical mistakes and produces better clinical outcomes. CMR also helps patients prepare for planned surgical procedures
by using interactive tutorials and online patient coping resources.
About Consumer's Medical Resource
Consumer's Medical Resource (CMR) is the first company in the U.S. to provide employees of Fortune 500 companies and other large organizations with in-depth,
objective, personalized, and timely information on serious and complicated illnesses and treatment options through its Medical Decision Support® (MDS) service.
Unlike any other medical information provider, CMR's physician-led medical research teams are staffed with doctors affiliated with America's top five medical schools,
according to the rankings of U.S. News and World Report. Working with patients on a dedicated team basis, they draw upon the latest advances in medical research and
technology to empower patients to be fully informed health care consumers.
Medical Decision Support® is a trademark of CMR in the United States, and is registered in the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office.
CMR was founded in 1996 and is headquartered in Pembroke, Massachusetts.
Fully Study available upon request: "Treatment Decisions Made by Surgery Decision Support Participants: Long-Term Follow Up Study.
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