Carol Ansolabeh: I have heart failure. I was a little dubious about talking to someone on the phone regarding my health and at first I thought, "Oh, it's just a bother", right? But she quickly earned my trust.
Carol Ansolabeh: Ansolabehere residence.
Sandra Masco: The Optum Heart Failure program is the ability to have patients being involved with a nurse, one on one, being able to help them walk through their whole process. Learning what heart failure is, making sure they understand why they take their medications, why it's so important to follow their physician's treatment plan.
Carol Ansolabeh: She has a smile in her voice and she's very knowledgeable and that knowledge comes through.
Sandra Masco: They're frightened. They don't know what to expect. Heart failure is one of the leading causes of death and often patients could die within five years of the diagnosis. I feel if we can help our patients understand what their condition is and help them to make those simple lifestyle changes so that you can still live and still do those things you want to do. We call them every month and ask them about their symptoms. We're able to send out a biometric device, where the patients are able to weigh themselves every day.
Speaker 3: Hello, Carol. Let's see how your feeling. We will begin checking your-
Carol Ansolabeh: There's a little monitor and then magically it talks to you.
Speaker 3: We will begin with checking your weight.
Sandra Masco: They answer specific questions related to heart failure.
Speaker 3: Please step on the scale.
Sandra Masco: Like are you having more shortness of breath? Are you having more swelling? Have you taken your medications? That information will come to us electronically.
Carol Ansolabeh: In three days I gained six pounds.
Sandra Masco: That's really significant. That could be that they're retaining fluids.
Carol Ansolabeh: Well, I did have some ham...
Carol Ansolabeh: And my nurse called and we discussed the whole diet and that was a help, because I might have ignored it.
Sandra Masco: I wanted to see how you're doing with...
Sandra Masco: I really try to get to know that patient. If I can build that trust with them, they're going to tell me other things. And oftentimes, I have patients that will tell me things that they maybe haven't told their doctor. And patients can tell if you're genuine. They know if you really care about them.
Sandra Masco: A lot of times hidden sodium, absolutely.
Carol Ansolabeh: My health care nurse has been an angel because she talked me through some pretty depressing times when I was suffering a lot.
Carol Ansolabeh: Thanks to this program, I'm weighing myself every day.
Carol Ansolabeh: Then it will ask me a series of questions.
Carol Ansolabeh: It reminds me to do things that I should be doing. I feel better and that enables me to be a little more active.
Sandra Masco: I've had patients that haven't been re-hospitalized because they've been in the program. They're able to make those changes in their life. They feel more confident about what they need to do to help themselves be healthier. The Optum Heart Failure Program is helping make a difference.
Carol Ansolabeh: I would just highly recommend it for people because I think it's very, very helpful. And I'm still here and kicking. It's just I don't kick quite as high anymore.
