SAN DIEGO, Nov. 30, 2011 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Healthyroads, Inc., the wellness subsidiary of national health services organization American Specialty Health Incorporated (ASH), announced that it has chosen Santech to help build a fully formed short message service (SMS) texting platform offering health tips and Healthyroads Coaching® appointment reminders to its more than 6 million members.
The Santech SanText platform offers the features needed for effective member engagement including personalization, interactive messaging, and in the future, the ability to adapt and modify the messages based upon member responses and other updated information about that member.
Healthyroads currently offers daily email messages that provide tips and helpful health information to members. But, as ASH and Healthyroads CEO George DeVries stated, "Due to the popularity and ease of text messaging, we believe the Santext service can provide an additional opportunity to engage members through effective, efficient communications."
Various studies have found that text messaging may be helpful in terms of health improvement across a number of areas including weight loss, smoking cessation, and adherence to health and medical guidelines and protocols. Santech co-founder Kevin Patrick, MD, MS is engaged in several National Institutes of Health-funded studies exploring the use of SMS for health behavior change. "The value of SMS for health improvement appears to be both in its reach and its simplicity," he said. "SMS works across essentially all varieties of cell phones and can fit well into the busy lifestyles of patients and consumers."
About Santech
Santech seeks to improve health through the use of mobile technology and behavioral science. Products include SanText, a personalized, intelligent SMS messaging platform that is used for a number of health improvement applications. More information can be found at www.santechhealth.com
Santech was founded by internationally recognized experts in mobile health technology, physical activity, and behavior change. In addition to Dr. Patrick, who is Director of the Center for Wireless Population Health Systems at Calit2, and a professor at the University of California, San Diego (UCSD) School of Medicine; Jim Sallis, PhD, Director of Active Living Research, a program of the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation, and also a Professor in UCSD's School of Medicine; and Karen Calfas, PhD, Vice Chancellor for Wellness at UCSD.
About American Specialty Health and Healthyroads
American Specialty Health Incorporated (ASH) is a national health services company that provides total population health services, specialty provider benefit administration, and fitness and exercise services to health plans, insurance carriers, employer groups, and trust funds. Based in San Diego, ASH has more than 800 employees and serves over 25.9 million members.
Healthyroads, Inc. offers a wide range of total population health services solutions—including award-winning telephone-based lifestyle and condition coaching programs, member engagement promotion programs, program management, health risk assessment, biometric screenings, claims analytics, risk stratification, outreach, incentive management programs, competitive challenges, worksite wellness programs, and/or an integrated online wellness portal, Healthyroads.com. Healthyroads offers these programs to more than 6.1 million members nationally.
For more information about ASH health and wellness programs, visit ASHCompanies.com or call (800) 848-3555. Follow us on Twitter at www.Twitter.com/ASHCompanies or www.Twitter.com/Healthyroads !