Motorola adds disease management programs
December 1, 1997 4 minutes read
Motorola adds disease management programs
Will serve 150,000 to ensure healthy employees
In a major commitment to its overall objective of "healthy people," Schaumburg, IL-based Motorola has entered into an agreement with PCS Health Systems of Scottsdale, AZ, to provide eight disease management programs and other pharmaceutical care quality initiatives.
The programs will include:
• cardiovascular disease management hypertension, heart failure, and hyperlipidemia (high cholesterol);
• asthma;
• chronic obstructive pulmonary disease;
• depression;
• acid-peptic disorders;
• infectious disease.
"These programs are directly related to [health] problems our people have been experiencing," explains Randy Johnson, director of benefits planning at Motorola.
With over 150,000 Motorola employees targeted, the new programs clearly represent a major investment. Why does the company place such importance on disease prevention?
"Our overall objective is healthy people," Johnson explains. "Under that umbrella fall two distinct areas total customer satisfaction and improved quality of care."
The disease management programs are a logical outgrowth of Motorola’s Health Advantage initiative launched in January 1996. "We installed a custom-designed health care program to implement our business initiatives and our health care plan and delivery systems," says Johnson. The pre-program research included more than 150 employee focus groups.
Mixing business and health
What makes Motorola’s health care programs unique is that they are tied directly to the company’s dedication to quality. "If you were to take a look at Motorola’s business initiative, you’d find "Six Sigma" quality [an engineering term that allows three defects per one million chances]," Johnson explains. "When we take steps to improve the quality of our health care system, we try to move as close to that as possible.
There are six steps to Six Sigma quality that are employed in every Motorola program, including health care:
1. Identify the product you are creating or the service your are providing.
2. Identify the customer for the product or service, and determine what they consider important.
3. Identify your needs to provide the product or service so that it satisfies the customer.
4. Define the process for doing the work.
5. Mistake-proof the process and eliminate wasted effort.
6. Ensure continuous improvement by measuring, analyzing, and controlling the improved process.
"The service we provide is a health care delivery system," says Johnson, noting that the 150 focus groups addressed step two. Steps three, four, and five will be up to PCS. "We have looked at those parties involved [in disease management] and their expertise in developing programs like this; we’re satisfied that they [PCS] are coming from a substantive expertise level and will be helpful in designing quality programs."
Step six will be extremely complex by design. Motorola will use its claims data "in some significant part," notes Johnson, but it will also use PCS and an Ann Arbor, MI-based company called MedStat to help measure the program.
PCS will measure success through a combination of tools, including self-reporting questionnaires. "Also, we will evaluate programs in terms of compliance with pharmaceutical therapy, cost reduction, hospitalization, and surgeries," notes Blair Jackson, a spokesperson for PCS.
"PCS will measure results from their perspective, but equally if not more important, MedStat will also measure the results to make sure we have an unbiased company evaluating the program as well," explains Johnson. Why such an aggressive approach? "I think that without measuring, you don’t improve," says Johnson, who adds that there is actually a MedStat employee on the Motorola campus.
"Motorola is unique among our customers," says Jackson. "Quality is almost a singular focus with Motorola; cost savings are secondary."
"I think he has captured our focus in that respect," Johnson responds. "Clearly, no global business can afford to overlook cost issues and we don’t. But we feel it’s very important to focus on quality and customer service. Over the long term, we expect that good quality will save costs."
Clearly defined objectives
Not surprisingly, Motorola and Johnson are clear on what they hope to achieve through the disease management programs. "My objective as an individual and Motorola’s overall objective is healthy people," he reasserts. "To the extent that these programs can bring about a healthier lifestyle, the employees will enjoy their lives more, and they will be more productive when they are at work. I expect that there will be fewer absences, and fewer in-patient stays as a result of some of these programs."
In addition to improved employee health, Johnson sees another important benefit Motorola will derive from sponsoring the disease management programs. "They bring an image and perception that Motorola is interested in quality of health care and in its employees," he says. "We want to be perceived as, if not the top company in the country for whom to work, then very, very close to the top. These programs will help take us in that direction."
As Motorola has not signed up for the entire PCS roster of programs, they ponder possibly adding more in the future.
[Editor’s Note: For more information, contact: Randy Johnson, director of benefits, Motorola, 1303 East Algonquin, Schaumburg, IL 0196. Telephone: (847) 576-5698.]
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