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ECHO of Alabama Employer Coalition to Conduct New Diabetes Program Using the ALR Technologies Constant Health Companion(TM) and Health ALRT Diabetes Management System
| Source: ALR Technologies Inc.
WINSTON-SALEM, NC--(Marketwire - May 27, 2008) - ALR Technologies Inc. (OTCBB : ALRT )
announces that ECHO, Employers Coalition for Healthcare Options, for
corporations in Alabama, will start a program using ALRT's Constant Health
Companion™ ("CHC") and its complementary Health ALRT Diabetes Management
System.
The program will begin in June with the ECHO member companies and their
employees or dependents with diabetes. ALRT's CHC and the Health ALRT
Diabetes System is a comprehensive patient compliance system and
communications software platform that will enable health care professionals
to remotely monitor the health progress specifically relating to diabetic
patients. This will help diabetics reap the full therapeutic benefits of
their medication by encouraging adherence to blood sugar testing and
medications. Moreover, the system will facilitate effective and "real
time" communication of blood sugar and other data to health professionals.
This will facilitate timely intervention by health professionals as
required and control complications due to diabetes. The program will also
provide diabetic supplies from Health ALRT, LLC, an innovative health
services company located in Kennesaw, GA.
The Constant Health Companion™ fills a serious gap in standard disease
management practices. It provides for continued and affordable compliance
supervision of patients after they have left the direct care of
professionals. The CHC assists patients in following the necessary steps
such as checking blood sugar regularly and taking medications as directed.
ECHO consists of more than 35 companies in Alabama and represents over
90,000 company employees. Diabetes is a serious condition affecting the
lives of more than 300,000 people in Alabama and 20 million in the US.
Medical costs due to diabetes and its complications are enormous. The
American Diabetes Association estimates the annual costs of diabetes
related complications to be over $2,600 per patient in 2007.
Karen Hill, Chief Executive Officer for ECHO, reports that the expected
results are "improved diabetes clinical outcomes, better self-management,
and employer health care savings by minimizing complications from
diabetes." "The cost of the entire ECHO Diabetes Program is less than what
most employers currently pay for the supplies alone. Additional disease
management oversight is available as a program enhancement. We will be
monitoring outcomes, and we expect to extend this program to all diabetics
in our network as positive outcomes and savings are developed."
"We are looking at extending the CHC system for use with other innovative
disease management programs such as heart disease and respiratory disease
in the near future," adds Hill. "Providing better care to people with
chronic diseases improves their health, improves employee productivity, and
lowers employer health care costs."
About ECHO (Employers Coalition for Healthcare Options)
ECHO was created to provide a format for local employers in Alabama to
share information relating to the costs and quality of local healthcare
benefits and services. The mission of ECHO is to ensure that accessible and
valuable healthcare is available to Alabama companies, their employees and
families. Headquartered in Huntsville, AL, their membership is composed of
prominent employers in Alabama, representing over 90,000 company employees.
ECHO develops and implements programs to measure, improve and monitor the
quality of healthcare in Alabama. They implement programs to promote the
health of employees of their member companies as well as residents of
Alabama. ECHO is a member of the National Business Coalition on Health
(NBCH) which has a membership of nearly 60 employer led coalitions across
the United States, representing 10,000 employers and 34 million employees
and dependents. Additional information about ECHO is available at their
web site: www.echoal.com
About ALR Technologies Inc.
ALR Technologies Inc. (ALRT) designs and manufactures health management
compliance products and monitoring and intervention systems. ALRT's primary
system, Constant Health Companion™, fills a serious gap in standard
disease management practices. It provides for continued and affordable
compliance supervision of patients after they have left the direct care of
professionals. More information on ALR Technologies and its products can be
found at http://www.alrt.com. More information about the Constant Health
Companion can be found at: http://www.alrt.com/CHC/index.html Public
Relations: 336-577-0329 e-mail: info@alrt.com
This release contains certain "forward-looking statements" relating to ALR
Technologies' business, and these statements reflect the current views of
ALR Technologies with respect to future events and are subject to certain
risks, uncertainties and assumptions. When used, the words "estimate,"
"expect," "anticipate," "believe" and similar expressions are intended to
identify such forward-looking statements. There are many factors that
could cause the actual results, performance or achievements of ALR
Technologies and its products to be materially different from any future
results, performances or achievements that may be expressed or implied by
such forward-looking statements. Further management discussions of risks
and uncertainties can be found in the company's quarterly filings with the
Securities Exchange Commission.