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Using Careverge to Improve the Health of Your Members:

Help Them When they are Sick, and Engage Them When They are Well

The Situation

In the US, health care costs continue to spiral out of control. Total spend now exceeds $2.5

trillion per year, representing about 17% of our country’s GDP. This is a larger percentage than

that of any other industrialized country.

Healthcare providers and other stakeholders have come to realize that lifestyle modifications

and preventive therapies, effectively applied, can have massive cost-avoidance results. For

example, smoking-cessation initiatives are projected to lower the

related medical costs from cardiovascular disease, coronary heart

disease and diabetes by as much as $72.5 billion over a 30-year

period.

Providers and health plans have striven for decades to create a deeper, more influential

relationship with consumers in an effort to persuade them to “do the right thing.” From

medication adherence and preventive health screenings to dieting and exercise, people are

continuously asked to alter their behaviors and to become more responsible for their own

health outcomes. Billions of dollars and countless hours are invested on a variety of care

management activities, all intended to influence healthy behaviors, but there has been no

“breakthrough” activity that has proven to significantly move the needle.

Over much of that same time period, hundreds of health web sites have been created, each one

with more complete clinical information and a friendlier user interface than the last. Some of

these web sites are actually quite well done. However, all of them miss the fundamental issue:

people only search for health care information when they, or a loved one, are sick. Healthy

people rarely seek medical information. It just does not occur to them to do so.

Meanwhile, the Internet Revolution has radically changed interactions around the world. An

estimated 74% of Americans access the Internet on the computer or via a myriad of wireless

devices to communicate with one another and to seek information. Millions of consumers

spend billions of hours in online gaming each year. Why? Because it is fun! The amount of

time spent on Social Networking activities is almost inestimable. Over 1.5 million pieces of

user-generated content are shared daily through Facebook alone.

One in eight of today’s married couples found each other on a

social network. Knowledge and experience regarding human

behavior with Internet-related activities has created an E-

Careverge offers a new model for patient self-care which can drive better health outcomes. By

marrying the appeal of social networking and game dynamics with behavioral analysis,

Careverge creates a uniquely robust relationship between healthcare providers and consumers.

In 2009, 60 million

consumers shared their

health experiences online.

As much as 88% of

avoidable healthcare costs

are due to an individual's

lifestyle choices.

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commerce revolution. We have always known that people enjoy competition; learning where

they stand relative to others in peer groups; spending time communicating (in a controlled way)

with people in similar situations; and even overcoming certain obstacles on the way to a

measured success. People want to have fun in new and innovative ways, and Internet gaming

and social networks have provided the outlet that people want.

Creating an individual consumer experience has proven to be very effective. Think about the

Amazon experience, where the next time you log on, you are presented with purchase options

that are based on choices you made during previous visits to the site. Ask Jeff Bezos if the

application of behavioral analysis and an individualized user experience has contributed to

Amazon profitability.

Until now, the health care industry has not directly benefited from the consumer engagement,

information-sharing and social networking of the internet. Careverge changes that trend.

What is Careverge?

Now, imagine a technology-based solution that consumers want to engage in when they are

well, because it is fun. All of the knowledge and experience around online engagement of

consumers is now being focused squarely on the healthcare industry by a company called

Audax Health Solutions.

Careverge is the web based solution for healthcare collaboration between care providers and

Members. Careverge leverages the best of Web 2.0 technologies to create a dynamic,

intelligent and personalized experience for every Member. Stakeholders in health care are

looking for a mechanism that will allow them to create and maintain a more meaningful,

“sticky” relationship with the consumers they serve. Further, healthcare providers

desire the ability to use this deeper connection with consumers to positively

influence behaviors to achieve better health outcomes. With the

launch of Careverge, that day has finally arrived.

The Careverge profile engine integrates web, mobile, and provider and health record data into

a single database that can be harnessed to provide custom Member profiles and engagements.

The Careverge profile API has the ability to support and analyze multiple disparate applications,

allowing for the real time generation of customized experiences suited to each Member’s own

wants and needs.

Careverge represents the culmination of best-of-web technologies specifically applied to

healthcare and individual health management. Importantly, all of this is done in a secure,

private, patient controlled, and HIPAA-compliant environment.

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Careverge also stands out from other health sites as it works with “health sponsors;”

organizations such as insurance carriers, pharmacy benefit managers, state governments, and

large private employers that are responsible for individuals’ health. In this way, cost savings

and clinical outcome value

are accelerated via a richer

and more diverse online

community. As such,

Careverge is not exclusively

a “private portal” for each

of our clients, but by

tracking and aggregating

the specific experiences

and outcomes of each of

our clients’ Members,

tremendous ROI is

achieved (see Figure 1).

How Does Careverge Work?

The primary components of Careverge include:

A Health Dashboard

Here, the Member is presented with a summary of their current health status, along with

information about future health risks. The dashboard is created from a compilation of data

sets, which can be imported from any source, or populated by the Members themselves.

Communities

Members are able to enter social networks of people in similar situations. These may be based

on health conditions or experiences. Communities include blogs written by acknowledged

industry experts and opportunities for Members to interact directly with each other via

conversation forums, Q&A, and chat. Each Member determines the degree to which their

information is shared, and complete anonymity is the default option.

Gaming

Utilization of Careverge is very much like a journey game. Each Member is led down an

individualized path. Every interaction that a Member has with Careverge is worth a number of

“Carepoints.” These points allow Members to achieve various levels, creating a hierarchy. At

first, leveling up is quick and easy. However, as the Member spends more time on Careverge,

leveling up becomes more difficult and requires more effort. This is similar to the mechanics

that are used by many popular social games. A later version of Careverge will see Carepoints

tied to a Careverge Card to allow for the redemption of points for rewards and prizes.

Carepoints are earned for every interaction type in the Careverge experience. In addition,

perhaps the most exciting portion of Careverge is games around health-related issues. These

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have been created to engage Members in the same way they are engaged today in Internet

games. This leads to more health knowledge and better health habits and adherence on the

part of the players.

Health Information

Careverge has a medical information repository that is world class. Virtually any health-related

topic can be researched, from general to the most esoteric. As Members experience the site,

Careverge learns about their preferences and information is subsequently presented in a

manner consistent with prior searches and content review. Careverge Members also earn

Carepoints based on the amount of information they review on any given topic.

Healthy Lifestyle Adherence Calendar

This is an easy-to-use tool that integrates all of the important components of a person’s health

and wellness plan. Then, depending on how each person chooses to receive communications

(e-mail, text, or mobile app), a series of prompts are sent to remind that person to perform

each of the tasks, including:

taking medication

refilling prescriptions

seeing his/her doctor

exercising according to a pre-set schedule

scheduling a health screening test

What Technology is Incorporated into Careverge?

Careverge is at the leading of edge of today’s Internet technology:

Predictive Technologies Based on Past Activities:

Audax Health Solutions is committed to bringing the best of web technology to consumers by

bringing the latest Internet predictive technology to healthcare. The future of computing and

web engagement will be marked by intelligent and predictive tools that allow Members to have

information pushed to them based on their past activity and behavior, and ultimately mold,

share, and connect with other Members through their social graph. For example, Careverge

has the same capabilities in suggesting healthcare interactions as Amazon has with suggesting

books or Netflix has with recommending movies. Careverge takes individual profile data and

intelligently suggests the actions that drive the greatest engagement, which in turn drives the

best healthy behaviors.

Profile Analytics:

The web is the most quantifiable medium in marketing history. With that comes all of the

robust functionality of top tier web analytics services. Careverge has built a proprietary, HIPAA-

compliant analytics platform that allows real time detailed tracking of online Member behavior.

Careverge can show how a population is becoming healthier, better informed, and more

empowered. Careverge also has the ability to track specific information campaigns and test

their effectiveness with various Member demographic sub-groups. The goal of the analytics

platform is to provide insights into the underlying decisions that influence a broad range of

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patient behaviors. Careverge’s reporting package can provide reports on detailed Member

activity and then suggest campaigns for clients. The result of Careverge’s Profile Analytics is

that the right message is delivered to the right Member at the right time, every time.

Social Profile and Social Graph:

Based on the analytics described above, Careverge dynamically builds a profile for each

Member, resulting in a richer experience. Further, this individual profile contributes to each

Member’s social graph. This becomes important because it is the vehicle that allows Careverge

to present relevant, valuable content to the Member, which establishes and maintains the

more durable, “sticky” relationship between the Member and Careverge. Connections, friends

and family are an integral part of everyone’s life both on and off line. Through social search

(seeking out people with similar experiences), Members make connections via a variety of

social media mechanisms. Their social connections can be translated into a simple, easily

searchable and accessible form of online social content.

Social Networking:

Careverge’s social network organizes the Members’ experience around topics, questions and

answers rather than around individual user profiles (like today’s other popular social media

platforms). This allows for Members to have honest, meaningful, and anonymous

conversations on the topic that is of most interest to them. Careverge also has the ability to

build networks through the creation of groups. Each group has its own analytics, reporting and

privacy features that allow the creation of a custom experience for each Member. Careverge

also utilizes these groups to create content and to intelligently offer suggestions for Members.

The social functionality allows Members to query the

network for answers to questions not found in the core

clinical content. Through the ability to intelligently

create and segment Member experiences, the

Careverge network allows Members to harness the

wisdom of the masses to attain better health

outcomes.

Gaming Mechanics:

Social gaming has been proven to drive a massive amount of traffic on social networks. To

drive data collection and behavior change, Careverge uses several levels of gaming mechanics.

The first level is the ability to earn Carepoints for the personal interactions and usage a

Member has with the platform. Every interaction is worth a dynamically generated point value

that creates incentives for further usage of the site. Each point value is intelligently molded to

the Member’s prior site experience. For example, if Member Mike123 has not answered a

survey but tends to fill out his profile information in detail, answering the next survey is worth

significantly more points than filling out another component of his profile.

The second level accounts for the Member’s overall health in the form of a proprietary health

score. Careverge compares the health score to the Member’s social graph and sets individual

Consumers currently seek health care

only when they need it. Leveraging

current technology, Careverge gives

Members a fun reason to engage in their

own health care when they are well.

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challenges for the Member. This introduces social competition, which pushes the Member to

provide the data that will fuel the experience and create the engagement opportunities that

influence healthy behavior.

The third game layer consists of themed social games that can be exported over other social

networks. Each health related-game uses social gaming to create stickiness between Members

and Careverge, which increases awareness and social collaboration. The innovative nature of

Careverge allows the health profile and the Member’s behavioral data to create a personalized

game experience that changes both with further play and with more healthy behaviors. This

incremental improvement is what drives long term health outcomes. This is what puts the fun

into healthy lifestyle improvements.

Personalization:

The most technologically advanced destinations on the Internet are search engines and retail

sites. These are the most innovative because they use a core profile to power engagements,

and they intelligently push Members through a rich, personalized experience. The more

personalized and automated the experience is, the more likely it is to cause the Member to

complete any given action. The Member is more likely to remain loyal to the site and continue

to gain value from each engagement.

Careverge applies these same technologies to health engagements. By building product

offerings around a core profile, every interaction is captured in the profile data. This creates an

experience that is infinitely more engaging and “sticky” than that of traditional web portals.

Consumers currently seek health care only when they need it. Leveraging current technology,

Careverge gives Members a fun reason to engage in their own health care when they are well.

Careverge supports mobile devices so Members can have fun wherever they go. Careverge also

supports data imports so that clients can make the Member experience even more attractive by

pre-populating individual data elements.

Summary

Millions of consumers currently spend billions of hours every week engaged in online and other

technology backed activities, because it is fun. The Careverge Solution by Audax Health

Solutions puts the fun back in to consumers’ ability and desire to take control of their own

healthy lifestyle choices.

For more info about Careverge or to get your Members or employees involved, contact us!

www.careverge.com

www.audaxhealth.com

E-Mail: info@audaxhealth.com

Follow us on Twitter @audaxhealth and on Facebook: Audax Health

3000 K Street, NW, Suite 350

Washington, DC 20007

Phone: 202-469-7728