Contact:
Sue McCarthy
Milliman Care Guidelines
Tel +61 (0) 407 555 431
sue.mccarthy@milliman.com

New e-health tool offers Australian hospitals best practice variance capture and real-time reporting

Use of Clinical Guidelines and Software Improves Quality Review Process

24 March 2009 -- Milliman Care Guidelines is introducing its market-leading web-based and interactive clinical care guidelines into Australian hospitals. The software is designed to offer clinicians easy access to evidence-based best practice guidelines, real-time clinical data and real-time management reporting.

The annually updated Milliman Care Guidelines^®, which currently support the care of one in three Americans through more than 1,000 healthcare clients, help improve patient outcomes through the targeting and reduction of inappropriate care. They identify gaps in care and provide reporting around why variances are occurring and how they can be reduced.

"CareWebQI^® is a tool that assists healthcare professionals on the front line, and their patients, by describing specific, evidence-based care at the right time. The tool helps avoid delays in care, can reduce underuse, overuse and misuse of medical resources, provides planning tools to anticipate patient needs and includes patient education tools," said Scott Harris, Senior Vice President of Sales and Marketing.

"A number of Australian hospital operators are already using our products, with some significant results, and we are seeing considerable interest from both the private and the public sector. One of the key outcomes we have shown is that using these tools can appropriately shorten patient length of stay in hospital. This not only improves the patient experience, but reduces the possibility of hospital acquired infections and can place the patient at a more suitable care setting."

The Care Guidelines cover the full spectrum of healthcare, including: ambulatory care, inpatient, step-down rehabilitation, home healthcare, chronic and behavioural care. As well as decision support criteria, they drive high quality care through such tools as care pathway tables, flagged quality measures and integrated clinical evidence.

About Milliman Care Guidelines

Milliman Care Guidelines LLC, A Milliman Company, is located in Seattle, and independently develops and produces evidence-based clinical guidelines and software used by hospitals, providers and health plans. Covering the continuum of care, the seven-product Care Guidelines series is updated annually by an experienced team of clinicians. For more information, visit www.careguidelines.com/aus.

About Milliman

Milliman Care Guidelines is a wholly owned subsidiary of Milliman, Inc., which is among the world's largest independent actuarial and consulting firms. Founded in Seattle in 1947 as Milliman & Robertson, the company now has 49 offices in key locations worldwide. Milliman employs more than 2,000 people, with a professional staff of more than 1,000 qualified consultants and actuaries, including specialists ranging from clinicians to economists. The firm has consulting practices in healthcare, employee benefits, property and casualty insurance, life insurance and financial services. Milliman serves the full spectrum of business, financial, government, union, education and nonprofit organizations. For more information, visit www.milliman.com.