An Award-Winning Conversation: Healthwise(R) Ix(R) Conversation Wins 2007 H. Winter Griffith Award for Excellence in Practice Improvement Involving Patient Education

BOISE, ID--(Marketwire - November 13, 2007) - The Healthwise Information Therapy (Ix) Conversation "A1c Tests: Taking Control of Your Diabetes" is the winner of the 2007 H. Winter Griffith Award for Excellence in Practice Improvement Involving Patient Education.

The award, presented by the American Academy of Family Physicians and the Society of Teachers of Family Medicine, acknowledges creative, cutting-edge strategies that deliver patient education. Entries are judged on their demonstrated capacity to communicate important health concepts to patients and positively impact patient behavior.

"People with diabetes should know that having regular A1c tests is important to avoid the devastating effects of uncontrolled diabetes," said Donald W. Kemper, Healthwise founder and CEO. "They should know, but they often don't know, even after having diabetes for years. Now this 'virtual conversation' can move patients to both the understanding and action they need to better control their condition."

"Many of us learn best through conversations. But medical appointments with doctors, nurses, and health educators can be expensive, inconvenient, and too hurried to cover all our information needs," said Kemper. "Healthwise Ix Conversations fill that gap. They help people get the value of an engaging, informative, and motivational conversation."

The key to Healthwise Ix Conversations is tailored responsiveness. In a uniquely human voice, each conversation guides a person through a series of questions about his or her condition and responds in a way that reflects the person's answers. After the conversation, the person receives a summary of his or her conversation. Ix Conversations are educational, but the voice, animations, and multimedia effects add an engaging element to the learning experience.

The Ix Conversation "A1c Tests: Taking Control of Your Diabetes" helps people with type 2 diabetes increase adherence to diabetes monitoring and management guidelines. Other Ix Conversations in development include:

--  Asthma: Reducing the Use of Rescue Inhalers
--  Coronary Artery Disease: Increasing Compliance With Beta-Blockers
--  High Blood Pressure/High Cholesterol: Taking Aspirin
--  Healthy Eating
--  Get Active
--  Healthy Weight
--  Stop Smoking
--  Sleeping Well
--  Healthy Thinking
    

Ix Conversations connect to the most comprehensive consumer health information resource available today -- the Healthwise Knowledgebase. Healthwise is recognized for content that is evidence-based, decision-focused, reviewed by experts, and free from commercial bias. Like the Healthwise Knowledgebase, Ix Conversations guide a person through his or her health decision using plain, uncomplicated, conversational language.

Health plans, hospitals, or consumer health portals can use the Internet to deliver Ix Conversations as part of an on-going information campaign. Physicians can also "prescribe" Ix Conversations to patients through personal health records or based on their clinical practice style and judgment. For example, a physician could recommend the Diabetes Ix Conversation to newly diagnosed patients, patients with adherence issues, a patient's relatives, or others. Ix Conversations provide maximum value with low cost to organizations trying to improve patient self-management of their medical conditions.

To request a username and password to see the new ways Ix Conversations engage people in their health care, visit www.healthwise.org/hwix_conversations.

About Healthwise

Healthwise is a nonprofit organization with a mission to help people make better health decisions. Nearly 100 million times a year, people turn to Healthwise information to learn how to do more for themselves, ask for the care they need, and say "no" to the care they don't need. Healthwise partners with health plans, hospitals, disease management companies, and health Web sites to provide up-to-date, evidence-based information to the people they serve. To learn more about the Healthwise Ix Solution, visit www.healthwise.org or call 1.800.706.9646.

Contact Information: Healthwise Contact: Brenda Foster Phone: 208.331.6963 E-mail: