"Talking scales"
leave no doubts about weight for UCare Minnesota's CHF patients
News Release - UCare Minnesota

Most people are grateful when their bathroom scales are off, weighing them a few pounds lighter. And first thing in the morning, if bleary eyes can't focus on those numbers between their feet, no harm done. But for people with congestive heart failure (CHF), a precise, clear reading can mean the difference between keeping CHF under control and a trip to the hospital in an ambulance.

CHF, considered by many physicians to be this country's "new epidemic" affects nearly five million Americans. It is the most common diagnosis among the Medicare population. The mortality rate for heart failure rivals that of cancer, with 50% of patients not expected to survive more than five years. In addition, the burden heart failure places on the medical system is staggering: CHF is responsible for more than 11 million physician visits and 870,000 hospitalizations each year.

While there is no cure for CHF, accurate, daily weigh-ins and symptom monitoring are critical to preventing hospitalizations and death, and maintaining quality of life. A gain of just two or three pounds could mean that CHF is worsening. To ensure that its members with CHF have a reliable, user-friendly method of daily weight and symptom monitoring, UCare Minnesota is providing them with interactive "talking scales" called Telescales® for their homes. A person steps on the scale and the scale actually "speaks" saying the weight out loud at the same time the corresponding numbers register on the scale's visual display. The Telescale voice also tells how the person's weight compares with the previous day's weight and if it varies from the target weight specified by their physician.

Before the weight reading, the scale verbally asks the patient 11 yes-or-no questions, developed by a team of leading heart failure specialists, about that day's symptoms. The patient answers via the Telescale's keypad, which is also in Braille. That information, along with the patient's weight, is automatically transmitted over the member's phone line to a computer server at Cardiocom®, the scale's Minnesota-based manufacturer. A Cardiocom nurse calls the patient to verify the report and to gather additional information as needed. If there is a weight gain or loss above or below the parameters specified by the patient's physician, the nurse faxes a detailed report to the patient's clinic. The physician then acts on the information and determines the best course of treatment.

In clinical studies, the Telescale has successfully reduced hospitalizations for CHF by more than 80 percent.

"This scale is a revolutionary approach to a serious health problem among older people" said Barry Baines, M.D., UCare's Medicare Medical Director. "It allows for daily home monitoring and direct transmission of vital medical data to physicians, who can take immediate, critical action to help these patients avoid a health crisis."

Cardiocom has also developed a Spanish-speaking scale and is looking at manufacturing scales that speak in Hmong and Russian.

UCare Minnesota is a nonprofit health maintenance organization (HMO) established in 1984 by the Department of Family Practice at the University of Minnesota Medical School and is the fourth largest HMO in the state. UCare Minnesota offers three health insurance programs for seniors: UCare for Seniors, a Medicare+Choice product for Medicare beneficiaries in the metropolitan area and adjacent counties; UCare SeniorSelect, a Medicare Select product; and Minnesota Senior Health Options for seniors eligible for both Medicare and Medical Assistance.