New Computer Model Will Help Solve Complex Health Problems; Fewer Heart Attacks, Lower Health Bills, Better Patient Care Expected

-- 'Archimedes' Model Would Benefit Diabetes Patients --

(OAKLAND, CA, October 31, 2001) - Three major health organizations - Kaiser Permanente, the American Diabetes Association and Bristol-Myers Squibb - announced today that they are joining forces to apply a powerful new computer simulation model to improve the care of diabetes.

The model was developed by Kaiser Permanente to help health care professionals analyze prevention programs and treatments, develop clinical practice guidelines, evaluate the quality of care, improve the efficiency of care processes, set priorities, and plan research. The American Diabetes Association has the world's largest network for research, information and advocacy relating to diabetes. Bristol-Myers Squibb has developed several prominent oral diabetes drugs. The company is funding this project and will also provide expertise in diabetes, clinical research and outcomes research. Kaiser Permanente, the American Diabetes Association and Bristol-Myers Squibb are committed to helping the more than 16 million Americans with diabetes.

"The potential for vastly improving health care through the use of this model is very exciting," said David Eddy, MD, PhD, who with Len Schlessinger, PhD developed Archimedes for Kaiser Permanente. "It can be used to explore a wide variety of interventions on health, logistic and economic outcomes of major diseases."

"The spectre of chronic illness looms large in America's future. Sophisticated biomathematical modeling systems such as Archimedes hold the promise of directing our health care efforts to effective targets, resulting in the greatest health improvements for our members and the community at large," said Jed Weissberg, MD, associate executive director for quality and performance improvement at the Permanente Federation. Dr. Weissberg also serves as chairperson of Kaiser Permanente's Care Management Institute (CMI), which directs the Archimedes work.

Richard Kahn, PhD, Chief Scientific and Medical Officer for the American Diabetes Association, said Archimedes holds great promise for people with diabetes. "For example, we can use this model to determine how many heart attacks could be prevented by lowering average blood glucose levels, or for illustrating to patients how they can reduce their risk of complications by making gradual lifestyle changes."

"As a leader in diabetes care, we are pleased to support this exciting new research," said Frank Pasqualone, Vice President, Metabolics Marketing, Bristol-Myers Squibb. "We are committed to developing new and innovative ways of helping patients with type 2 diabetes. It is our hope that this new model will assist in the treatment of the millions of Americans with the condition."

Archimedes more advanced than other models of diabetes

The Archimedes simulation model, named for the Greek mathematician and inventor, takes advantage of the latest advances in computing, software design and mathematical modeling. It differs from other models of diabetes in several important ways. It is a full simulation, with every person, every doctor and every piece of equipment being represented and interacting as they do in reality.

It is written at a very high level of biological detail, the same level at which medical textbooks are written and real clinical and administrative decisions are made. It encompasses all types of interventions: not only personal interventions like prevention, diagnosis, screening, treatment and support care, but also organizational interventions such as quality improvement, care management, performance measurement, and changes in patient and practitioner behaviors.

It includes virtually all aspects of care, including facilities, personnel, care processes, protocols, logistics and costs. It also spans multiple diseases, which is especially important for a disease like diabetes that affects so many organs. Finally, it is completely continuous, tracking the occurrence of all pertinent events at all times.

Because of these features, the model creates a "virtual world" inside of the computer, which represents the real world in all-important ways. Clinicians, administrators and policymakers can use this virtual world to study health care problems in an abstract but very realistic form, and then translate the insights into practical real-world solutions. This enables Archimedes to address rapidly and inexpensively thousands of very complex problems that would be impossible to address by any other method, such as clinical trials, observational studies or expert judgment.

The brainchild of Kaiser Permanente's Dr. Eddy, Archimedes was begun in the early '90s with support from Kaiser Permanente's Southern California Region. The project was later brought under the national umbrella at Kaiser Permanente's Care Management Institute, where it lives today. The Care Management Institute is a unique, pioneering institution with a mandate to drive, fund, and catalyze evidence-based care management activities throughout Kaiser Permanente.

Kaiser Permanente is America's largest not-for-profit health plan. Founded more than 50 years ago with headquarters in Oakland, California, Kaiser Permanente serves the health care needs of 8.2 million members, primarily on a prepayment basis. Nationwide, Kaiser Permanente includes about 90,000 technical, administrative and clerical employees and about 15,000 physicians representing all specialties.

Bristol-Myers Squibb is an $18 billion pharmaceutical and related health care products company whose mission is to extend and enhance human life.

The American Diabetes Association is the nation's leading voluntary health organization supporting diabetes research, information and advocacy. Founded in 1940, the Association has offices in every region of the country, providing services to hundreds of communities.