Andover, Mass. -Royal Philips Electronics (NYSE: PHG; AEX: PHI) and the California Association for Health Services at Home (CAHSAH) have announced that Philips has been awarded a group purchasing organization (GPO) contract for telehealth products and services. CAHSAH is the leading statewide home care association in the U.S., representing more than 400 providers in California, and has selected Philips Consumer Healthcare Solutions as a GPO telehealth vendor for remote patient monitoring services.

Due to increasing interest from home health agencies in the use of technology to enhance the quality and efficiency of their patient care and patient education, CAHSAH has added telehealth equipment to its GPO program.

"Remote patient monitoring has the potential for changing how the home care industry does business. Telehealth offers the opportunity to address some of the global issues of home care providers simultaneously - staff shortage/ productivity and patient compliance/ wellness," said CAHSAH President Joe Hafkenschiel.
Philips is offering a comprehensive telehealth program to CAHSAH members: wireless telemonitoring measurement devices, robust clinical content-including patient education, validated health surveys and risk assessment tools-as well as innovative pricing models and wide-ranging service delivery and implementation support. Also available are Data Monitoring Services, where Philips will verify patient data if an alert is triggered, and then notify agency staff about flagged patients who may require their intervention-enabling home care agencies to focus their resources on improving outcomes. In addition, Philips offers Patient Stratification services - telephone-based screening to help agencies stratify patients based on risk, identify care intervention opportunities, and determine which patients may be suitable candidates for telemonitoring.

"We are pleased to offer a comprehensive telehealth solution as a GPO vendor to CAHSAH, who has recognized the potential for remote monitoring and early intervention to decrease readmissions and emergency care," said Mike Lemnitzer, senior director, for Philips Consumer Healthcare Solutions. "We look forward to working with CAHSAH to deliver a telehealth program designed around the needs of both clinicians and patients: wireless telemonitoring devices, robust web-based assessment tools, and validated clinical content. Philips is committed to offering the highest level of customer service and satisfaction to the members and the patients they serve."

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