BERKELEY HEIGHTS, N.J., June 27, 2011 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Authentidate Holding Corp. (Nasdaq:ADAT), a provider of secure health information exchange, workflow management services and telehealth solutions, today announced that it has been selected by the University of Utah to supply the Utah Telehealth Network (UTN) Utah Remote Monitoring Project, "Improving Healthcare One Patient at a Time" with its Electronic House Call™ (EHC) remote monitoring device, remote monitoring kiosk device and Interactive Voice Response (IVR) telehealth solutions made available through its ExpressMD™ Solutions joint venture company.
"UTN is a mature telehealth network connecting hospitals, clinics and health departments. UTN provides support for a growing variety of telemedicine programs, with the aim of positively impacting patient outcomes and contributing to ongoing healthcare redesign and payment reform efforts in Utah. This project will implement new methods for chronic disease management for patients in rural and urban Utah," said Dr. Marta Petersen, Director of Utah Telehealth Network and Vice-Chair, Department of Dermatology, University of Utah School of Medicine.
Scope of the Utah Remote Monitoring pilot project includes a centralized care coordinator, four clinics requiring concurrent monitoring of 15-20 patients each, and two additional locations to pilot the kiosk-based systems for 30 concurrent patients each. Project directors anticipate acquiring a care manager workstation, 60-80 patient home units, 2 Kiosks and 15-20 IVR patients, all dependent on finalization during implementation. Funding for this project is provided by a three-year Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA) Office for the Advancement of Telehealth (OAT) Telehealth Network Grant. Other project partners that will be able to utilize Authentidate's telehealth solutions include University of Utah Health Care Stansbury Health Center and Stroke Center; the Association for Utah Community Health; Community Health Centers Inc; and the Utah Navajo Health System.
Dr. Sarah Woolsey, Community Health Centers commented, "The Utah Remote Monitoring Project was selected by the HRSA and OAT to show how Telehealth programs and networks can partner to improve access to quality health care services for underserved rural and urban communities. We want to demonstrate that patients will have better access to care, engage patients with Diabetes Mellitus and hypertension in their own management with support from the remote care system, and actually improve their health outcomes."
"We are seeking innovative ways to deliver improved care to patients who are not able to reach traditional care facilities easily on a regular basis. The Utah Remote Monitoring Project will allow patients to have access to quality health care nearer their homes," commented Donna Singer, CEO of the Utah Navajo Health System.
Authentidate's remote patient monitoring solutions bring the kind of personalized care to patients in their homes that was previously only available in acute and post-acute care settings. EHC is an easy-to-use in-home, touch screen remote monitoring device that provides scheduled care plan reminders and allows patients to enter their own vital signs. The remote monitoring kiosk performs the same functions as EHC for multiple patients from a single common location like a clinic or school. Clinicians use the EHC, the IVR, or the kiosk solution to remotely monitor their patients' vital signs and gather additional pertinent information about their patients' health to supplement in-person visits. Clinicians can review their patients' remote monitoring session results securely using the secure web-based application and remotely manage or adjust their patients' care plans, medication reminders and related information. Clinicians can also use the EHC to provide disease-specific education to their patients in real-time.
Healthcare providers are beginning to use remote patient monitoring to deliver better continuity of care, especially for patients with chronic illnesses. Telehealth solutions also benefit patients who are in need of regular monitoring but are located far from their physician or specialist. In addition, these patients generally show higher compliance with care plans, resulting in a reduction in hospital readmissions and overall improved outcomes.
Zachary Madrigal, Director of Southwestern Region at Authentidate, said, "We are proud that The University of Utah Health Sciences clinical team and the Utah Telehealth Network have selected our advanced telehealth solutions to support the Utah Remote Monitoring Project. Authentidate is dedicated to supporting the success of this important telemonitoring initiative."
About University of Utah Health Care
The University of Utah Health Care is the Intermountain West's only academic health care system, combining excellence in patient care, the latest in medical research, and teaching to provide leading-edge medicine in a caring and personal setting. The system provides care for Utah's and residents of five surrounding states in a referral area encompassing more than 10 percent of the continental United States. The health care system includes four University hospitals (University Hospital, Huntsman Cancer Hospital, University Orthopaedic Center, and the University Neuropsychiatric Institute); 10 community clinics; and several specialty centers including the John A. Moran Eye Center, the Cardiovascular Center, the Clinical Neurosciences Center and the Utah Diabetes Center.
University of Utah Health Care is consistently ranked among US News & World Report's Best Hospitals, and its academic partners at the University of Utah School of Medicine and Colleges of Nursing, Pharmacy, and Health are internationally regarded research and teaching institutions.
For more information, visit the website: www.healthcare.utah.edu
About Utah Telehealth Network (UTN)
The Utah Telehealth Network (UTN) links patients to health care providers across our state, country and the world by using leading edge telecommunications technology. Telehealth provides rural patients and providers with access to services that are usually available only in more populated urban areas. The Utah Telehealth Network uses interactive video to deliver patient care, provide continuing education to health professionals, and to facilitate administrative meetings.
For more information, visit the website: www.utahtelehealth.net
About Association for Utah Community Health (AUCH)
The Association for Utah Community Health supports and represents its member organizations and works to increase access to health care for medically under-served populations in Utah. AUCH is the primary care association for Utah and its members include Federally Qualified Health Centers (FQHC) and other providers who strive to meet the needs of the medically under-served. AUCH and its member organizations are part of a statewide and national movement to reduce barriers to health care by enhancing primary care service delivery through prevention, health promotion, and community participation.
For more information, visit the website: www.auch.org
About Community Health Centers, Inc. (CHC, Inc.)
Community Health Centers, Inc. is a private, non-profit charitable 501(c)(3) organization, providing affordable, high-quality primary health care, dental, mental health and pharmaceutical services. CHC is a safety net provider of primary health care to Salt Lake County's uninsured, low-income families. From its simple roots as a "free clinic," CHC has grown to four health clinics and two dental clinics in Salt Lake County, Utah and a rural farm worker clinic in Box Elder County, Utah.
For more information, visit the website: www.chc-ut.org
About Utah Navajo Health System (UNHS)
Utah Navajo Health System started as a single service corporation providing care for patients with diabetes and grew to a private corporation providing medical, dental and healthcare needs for 10,000 community members. Providing health care in the southern San Juan County area, UNHS is a private, non-profit 501 (c) (3) corporation that functions under the direction of a 100% Navajo board of Directors. The organization is a federally designated 330e Community Health Center (CHC) system.
For more information, visit the website: unhs.tripod.com
About Authentidate Holding Corp.
Authentidate Holding Corp. is a provider of secure health information exchange, workflow management services and telehealth solutions. The company's software and web-based services enable healthcare organizations and other enterprises to increase revenues, reduce costs and enhance patient care by eliminating paper and manual work steps from clinical and administrative processes. The web-based services are delivered as Software as a Service (SaaS), and only require that customers have an Internet connection and web browser. The company's healthcare customers and users include leading homecare companies, health systems and physician groups. These organizations utilize the company's products and services to coordinate care for patients outside of acute-care.
For more information, visit the company's website at www.authentidate.com
This press release contains forward-looking statements within the meaning of section 27A of the Securities Act of 1933 and section 21E of the Securities Act of 1934. When used in this release, the words "believe," "anticipate," "think," "intend," "plan," "will be," "expect," and similar expressions identify such forward-looking statements. Such statements regarding future events and/or the future financial performance of the company are subject to certain risks and uncertainties, which could cause actual events or the actual future results of the company to differ materially from any forward-looking statement. Such risks and uncertainties include, among other things, the availability of any needed financing, the company's ability to implement its business plan for various applications of its technologies, the impact of competition, the management of growth, and the other risks and uncertainties that may be detailed from time to time in the company's reports filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission. In light of the significant risks and uncertainties inherent in the forward-looking statements included herein, the inclusion of such statements should not be regarded as a representation by the company or any other person that the objectives and plans of the company will be achieved.
Authentidate and Inscrybe are registered trademarks of Authentidate Holding Corp. ExpressMD and Electronic House Call are trademarks of ExpressMD Solutions, LLC. All other trade names are the property of their respective owners.