EXPANDING RISK FACTOR REDUCTION FOR PATIENTS WITH CORONARY HEART DISEASE: THE ROLE OF PHYSICAL ACTIVITY AND NUTRITION

CLIENT: SCHERING PLOUGH CORPORATION

CATEGORY: Pharmaceutical Company

BACKGROUND

Schering Plough wanted to expand its presence in the area of cardiovascular medicine by generating value-added programs for health care providers and managed care organizations. The company approached Rippe Lifestyle Institute for help developing materials on the role of physical activity and nutrition in coronary artery disease (CAD) risk reduction and as adjunctive therapy in individuals with CAD.

RLI'S RESPONSE

RLI became the "Center of Excellence" for Schering Plough in the area of lifestyle management of coronary heart disease. Dr. Rippe wrote numerous patient education pamphlets for Schering Plough including the "W.A.L.K. Program," "Let's Get Physical," "Controlling Hypertension: Simple Daily Steps to Help Lower Your Blood Pressure and Reduce Your Cardiac Risk," and "Lowering Your Blood Cholesterol and Other Factors for Heart Disease." These pamphlets were used in conjunction with an innovative Nurse Counselor Program that was managed by RLI staff.

The Nurse Counselor Program has been utilized in managed care organizations throughout the United States. Several academic publications have been generated from this program documenting that nurse counselor interventions, when used in conjunction with materials developed by RLI, can effectively lower cardiovascular risk by increasing physical activity and improving dietary intake patterns. This program is currently being extended to include acute care settings as well as corporate clients of Schering Plough and managed care organizations affiliated with Schering Plough.

RESULTS

The Nurse Counselor Program has been credited with improving patient outcomes and satisfaction and improving relationships between Schering Plough and managed care organizations. In addition, it has resulted in several academic publications demonstrating that a Nurse Counselor Program with physical activity and dietary advice delivered via telephone can reduce cardiovascular risk factors.