Pro-Change Launches Trial of an iPad-delivered Multiple Behavior, Multiple Language Program for Pregnant Women

This month Pro-Change launched a randomized clinical trial of Healthy Pregnancy: Step by Step at six federally qualified health center sites offering prenatal care to underserved women in Rhode Island, New York, and Connecticut. With funding from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), Pro-Change developed a multiple behavior computer tailored intervention (CTI) offering individualized guidance based on stage of readiness for smoking cessation and maintenance, stress management, and healthy eating. A color-printed feedback report and a printed multiple behavior change manual serve as adjuncts to the CTI. A total of 368 women are expected to participate in the study, and all components of the intervention are offered in English and Spanish. With this project, Pro-Change has expanded its core web application capabilities by including extensive interactivity within the tailored feedback screens of the CTI, adding multiple languages, and the optimizing of the entire intervention for iPad delivery.

During the next six months, study participants will be recruited from the three prenatal care sites of the Community Health Center, Inc. of Connecticut (Meriden, Middletown, and Clinton), the two sites of Open Door Family Medical Centers in Ossining and Port Chester, NY, and the Woonsocket, RI site of Thundermist Health Center. Women will be invited to participate in the program three times during their pregnancy. At each session, women in the treatment group will receive stage-matched and tailored guidance on two behavioral risks with attention placed on making and sustaining behavioral changes into the postpartum period. Follow-up assessments will be completed at one and four months post childbirth.

At all health center sites women will interact with the program on iPads in a self-directed manner. Usability testing with the target population demonstrated strong feasibility and enthusiasm for using iPads. Pamela Ferrari, RN, Director of Performance Improvement at Open Door commented, “The flexible and mobile delivery platform of iPads will enable us to test this program and integrate it into our standard prenatal care more easily. Women can carry the iPad with them through our prenatal care flow and engage in science-based behavioral health counseling while they wait to see their provider. This is a welcomed enhancement that we are pleased to offer our English and Spanish speaking prenatal patients.”

Outcomes of the trial are anticipated to be available early in 2013. A demonstration of the program can be viewed at www.prochange.com/pregnancydemo. For more information about the CTI or printed behavior change manuals, please contact Dr. Leanne Mauriello, Principal Investigator and Vice President at Pro-Change at lmauriello@prochange.com.

About Open Door

Founded in 1972 in the basement of the First Baptist Church in Ossining, NY, Open Door was first operated as a free clinic, staffed by nearly 100 local volunteers. Today Open Door is a nationally recognized, federally qualified community health center serving as the health care home to more than 40,000 individuals in Westchester. Open Door’s facilities are located in designated underserved communities, serving those who are hardest to reach. Patients make over 170,000 visits annually to its sites in Ossining, Port Chester, Mt. Kisco, Sleepy Hollow, and its five school-based health centers in Port Chester. Accredited by The Joint Commission, Open Door ensures quality through its board-certified and board-eligible physicians, staff, exceptional quality improvement program, and a robust electronic medical record platform. For more information about Open Door, please visit www.opendoormedical.org.

About Thundermist

Thundermist Health Center is a private, nonprofit community health center serving three communities in Rhode Island and serving 28,000 patients statewide. It is the second largest community health center in Rhode Island and has been part of the federal community health center program for over two decades. Thundermist continually strives for continuous quality improvement and innovation and is a proven leader in community health in Rhode Island. For over forty years, Thundermist has been fulfilling its mission to provide affordable, culturally competent, comprehensive primary care when and where it is needed most, with dignity and respect. For more information about Thundermist Health Center, please visit www.thundermisthealth.org.

About Community Health Center, Inc.

Community Health Center (CHC) is a statewide, independent private nonprofit organization. CHC provides high-quality medical, dental and behavioral health services to over 130,000 active patients living in nearly every Connecticut city and town. For more information about Community Health Center, Inc., please visit chc1.com.

Pro-Change Launches 2012 Upgrade

Pro-Change Behavior Systems, Inc. has launched the 2012 upgrade to its URAC Gold Award Winning LifeStyle Suite’s eight programs including Stress Management, Smoking Cessation, Healthy Eating, Exercise, Weight Management, Depression Prevention, Managing Your Cholesterol, and Managing Your High Blood Pressure.

The upgrade includes:

• iPad and smart phone optimization
• a Spanish version of the Health Risk Intervention which assesses health and behavior risks, the user’s readiness to change them, and then provides stage-targeted feedback
  productivity and functionality measures included in the Health Risk Intervention
• new Interactive Personal Activity Centers which contain tools, games, quizzes, testimonials, electronic flip books, and activities designed to complement the guidance received in the computerized tailored behavior change programs
  a fully integrated Weight Management program that includes tailored messages on healthy eating, exercise, and emotional eating with stage-matched goals
• capability, when requested, to now add to the Suite the Proactive Health Consumer program which is designed to guide the user to engage in shared decision making with their health care providers, make informed decisions about tests and treatments, and to use health care services in a financially responsible way
• capabilities for tailored text messaging by Transtheoretical Model constructs that drive the most change.

“We are now pleased to be able to offer a fuller user experience that is optimized for ease of use,” stated Janice M. Prochaska, PhD, President and CEO of Pro-Change. “We would be glad to work with anyone wanting a demo of our new features.”

The Stages of Change Highlighted in Experience Life

West Kingston, RI – “The Stages of Change: Break a habit. Achieve a goal. Transform Your life” is the lead article in the November issue of the magazine Experience Life and is listed in the top 10 most read list on their home page. The six-page article is written in a style that is easily understandable to a broad reading population. The article not only describes each of the stages of change in plain language, but also gives guidance on what readers can do to help create forward momentum through the stages of change whether they are not ready, getting ready, or ready to change. For the full article please visit http://www.experiencelife.com/issues/november-2011/life-wisdom/the-stages-of-change.php.

Experience Life is an award-winning health and fitness publication that puts forth the concept that being healthy is a revolutionary act. Experience Life is recognized for being one of the best researched, most reliable, and most forward-thinking magazines of its time.

“We are pleased that Experience Life took the time to interview us at Pro-Change and to write a very thorough and helpful article for the general public,” stated Janice M. Prochaska, PhD, President and CEO of Pro-Change Behavior Systems, Inc.

About Experience Life

The mission of Experience Life is to empower our readers to become their best, most authentic selves and to support their enjoyment of a healthy, balanced, deeply satisfying way of life. Experience Life seeks to provide road maps toward real and lasting self-improvement. For more information, please visit www.experiencelife.com.

Pro-Change’s Dr. James O. Prochaska and First Lady Mrs. Obama named SOPHE’s 2011 Honorary Fellows

West Kingston, RI – September 8, 2011 - Society for Public Health Education (SOPHE) proudly names Dr. James O. Prochaska and First Lady Michelle Obama as its 2011 Honorary Fellows. The honorary fellow is the highest SOPHE award to a nonmember who has made significant and lasting contributions to the field of health education and improving the public’s health.

Dr. Prochaska pioneered the Transtheoretical Model, which outlines stages of change and matches strategies for health behavior change. Now more than three decades old, the model is arguably one of the most widely applied in health education research and practice.

“Dr. Prochaska’s teaching, research, and writings around the Transtheoretical Model pioneered a new and innovative paradigm for shaping health education interventions, particularly in cancer prevention and control,” notes SOPHE Chief Executive Officer Elaine Auld, MPH, MCHES. “SOPHE is proud to honor Dr. Prochaska and his remarkable legacy to improving the public’s health.”

Since 2010, Mrs. Obama has led a national campaign to improve the health and fitness of America’s children. The “Let’s Move” campaign has galvanized health, human service, transportation, civic, business, media, and other sectors both within and outside of government to tackle the problem of childhood obesity through improved nutrition and physical activity opportunities.

With the First Lady’s leadership, the nation has catalyzed national attention and action on one of our most pressing public health problems today – childhood obesity, ” says Dan Perales, DrPh, SOPHE President. “The ‘Let’s Move’ campaign helps address the critical social, educational, environmental, and other determinants that affect the health of our nation’s youngest citizens and future workforce.”

Both Dr. Prochaska and Mrs. Obama are invited to speak at SOPHE’s 62nd Annual Meeting, October 28-29 in Arlington, VA. The honorary Fellow Awards will be presented as SOPHE convenes the nation’s largest independent gathering of behavioral scientists, and health education researchers, practitioners, and students. For more information about the SOPHE Annual Meeting and/or a list of past Honorary Fellows, please visit www.sophe.org.

About SOPHE

Founded in 1950, The Society for Public Health Education’s mission is to provide global leadership to the profession of health education and to promote the health of society. SOPHE promotes healthy behaviors, healthy communities, and healthy environments through its membership, its network of 19 regional/state chapters, and its numerous partnerships with other organizations. For more information about SOPHE, please visit www.sophe.org.

About Pro-Change

Pro-Change Behavior Systems, Inc., a certified Women’s Business Enterprise, is the leading research and development company for computer- and coaching-based programs for changing health risk behaviors. Based on the Transtheoretical Model developed by founder Dr. James O. Prochaska, Pro-Change programs are for entire populations and are uniquely tailored to each individual. Pro-Change programs have produced unprecedented impacts on multiple behaviors to enhance health and reduce health care costs. In 2009, Pro-Change’s LifeStyle Management Programs for Stress Management, Depression Prevention, Weight Management, Exercising Regularly, Smoking Cessation, and Medication Adherence won the URAC Gold Award for Best Practices in Health Management. For more information about Pro-Change, please visit www.prochange.com.

Joint Healthways/Pro-Change study Emphasizes Importance of Multi-faceted Well-Being Approach as Key to Improve Presenteeism and Productivity

Reduced Productivity Occurs as Chronic Conditions and Risk Behaviors Increase; and as Physical and Emotional Health Decreases

Findings from a new study published in the Journal of Occupational and Environmental Medicine suggest that organizations may want to review their approaches to managing presenteeism – productivity loss from employees who are physically present at work, yet perform sub-optimally due to health problems or other barriers such as personal problems or worries. Rather than focusing exclusively on physical health, employers can more effectively influence productivity by holistically measuring presenteeism and providing actionable information focused on physical, social, and emotional health and well-being.

Presenteeism is currently estimated to cost the United States more than $150 billion annually, accounting for 71% of the total costs of lost productivity.¹ This collaborative study, conducted by Pro-Change Behavior Systems, Inc. and Healthways, developed and evaluated the Well-Being Assessment for Productivity (WBA-P) as an assessment of job performance loss due to well-being related barriers.

By surveying 1,827 employed individuals, the study confirms that the WBA-P is a valid and reliable measure of presenteeism, showing productivity loss increased significantly as the number of chronic conditions and risk factors increased and as overall physical and emotional health decreased. In addition, it shows lower productivity for those that expressed they are struggling and suffering in their life evaluation.

“While previous research has supported the negative impact absenteeism has on organizations, the Well-Being Assessment for Productivity is the first measure of presenteeism that captures a range of performance barriers related to work and ‘personal’ life, said James O. Prochaska, PhD, Founder, Pro-Change Behavior Systems, Inc. “This study marks a critical turning point in solving the presenteeism problem, as employers are now capable of identifying, customizing treatments for, and tracking specific sources of productivity loss across business, business units, and teams.”

The WBA-P is a component of Healthways Well-Being Assessment, a measurement instrument which provides organizations information on the overall well-being of their employees as well as the impact well-being is having on the productivity of the workforce. The Well-Being Assessment allows organizations to deliver a single measure that will provide the information needed to guide well-being and performance enhancement programs and to measure their impact on employee productivity.

“These findings clearly show it is critical to consider a broader view of presenteeism and specific sources of productivity loss as part of a well-being improvement strategy,” said James E. Pope, Chief Science Officer at Healthways. “Business leaders must provide solutions that support employees in their homes, communities, and work environments in order to improve overall well-being, which in turn improves productivity and reduces costs.”

Article: “The Well-Being Assessment for Productivity; A Well-Being Approach to Presenteeism.” James O. Prochaska, PhD, Kerry E. Evers, PhD, Janet L. Johnson, PhD, Patricia H. Castle, MA, Janice M. Prochaska, PhD, Lindsay E. Sears, PhD, Elizabeth Y. Rula, PhD, and James E. Pope, MD; Journal of Occupational and Environmental Medicine, Published July 2011.

Full Study Available: The Well-Being Assessment for Productivity; A Well-Being Approach to Presenteeism.

About Healthways
For more about Healthways, please visit www.healthways.com.

1. Stewart WF, Ricca JA, Chee E, Morganstein D. Lost productive work time costs from health conditions in the United States: results from the American Productivity Audit. J Occup Environ Med. 2003; 45: 1227-1234.

Senior Vice President Kerry Evers Honored Among Top “40 Under Forty” by Providence Business News

Kerry Evers, Ph.D., Senior Vice President of Research and Development, has been named one of the state’s top business people in the annual “40 Under Forty” feature in Providence Business News (PBN). Kerry is one of 40 young professionals (business and nonprofit leaders) chosen from more than 115 nominees, based on career success and community involvement. PBN seeks the best and the brightest in the state of Rhode Island who have made a commitment to making a difference on a local, national, or international scale.

Kerry started her work at Pro-Change by obtaining Pro-Change’s first Small Business Innovative Research funding in 1998, and has continued to work with some of Pro-Change’s largest and longest term partnerships. She has led and played an integral part in research and product development for behaviors ranging from stress management and bullying prevention; the use of the Internet in affecting health behavior change, proactive health consumerism, and well-being; to text messaging for smoking cessation and programs for veterans with mild to moderate PTSD. “Kerry’s strong leadership and willingness to take risks has brought new technologies and cutting edge innovations to Pro-Change” stated Janice M. Prochaska, President & CEO. “Kerry is one of the original founders who helped launch Pro-Change in 1997 and continues to help Pro-Change thrive.”

Kerry’s reputation has grown throughout the behavioral-science field. She has written roughly 40 published works and has had speaking engagements at nearly 100 conferences in more than 10 countries. She is an Associate Editor for the American Journal of Health Promotion, and adjunct faculty at the University of Rhode Island. In 2009, she was one of 20 experts to participate in the “Forum on the Future Impact of Neuroscience and Behavior Change.” She is often asked to review for grant funding agencies and journals, and serves as the Chair of the Multiple Behavior Change Special Interest Group for the Society of Behavioral Medicine as well as a track chair for a variety of conferences.

Kerry’s work has also been recognized by military leaders. In 2008, Evers was selected by the U.S. Office of the Secretary of Defense as one of 50 leaders from across the nation to participate in the 76th Joint Civilian Orientation Conference. In 2009 she was invited to attend the 56th Annual National Security Forum at the Air War College.

Kerry is equally as dedicated to influencing change in the community. She is on the Board of Directors for South Kingstown CARES, a nonprofit volunteer organization that supports the town’s school district. She has also worked with the Leukemia and Lymphoma Society, the American Cancer Society, and several other local nonprofit organizations. Evers, a 3rd degree Black Belt in Okinawan Karate, also assists with teaching and programs at her karate studio.

About Providence Business News

Providence Business News, nicknamed PBN, is a weekly business newspaper focusing on the economy in Rhode Island and Bristol County, Massachusetts. For information about PBN, please visit www.pbn.com.

Basic TTM e-Learning Program Now Offers CEs

Pro-Change has approval through the American Psychological Association and the National Association of Social Workers for 4 contact hours of clinical continuing educational credits for the e-Learning course titled, “Basic Transtheoretical Model Training.” The online course teaches clinicians and health care professionals the basic concepts and strategies to effectively use the Transtheoretical Model of Behavior Change (TTM) when working with clients. Pro-Change’s President and CEO, Janice M. Prochaska, stated that “We are pleased to now offer CEs to psychologists and social workers. By fall 2011, we intend to expand to public health professionals.”

The course incorporates activities such as role-plays, knowledge checks, and a 25-item multiple-choice certificate test to further strengthen the concepts learned. It includes additional features such as closed captioning, recorded narration, and a resource library.

By the end of the interactive four-hour course, which can be completed in one or multiple sittings, the learner should be able to:

1. Understand and describe the characteristics of people in each Stage of Change – Precontemplation, Contemplation, Preparation, Action, Maintenance, and Termination.
2. Describe the four main constructs of the TTM - stage of change, decisional balance, self- efficacy, and processes of change.
3. Identify which TTM principles and processes to employ at each Stage of Change (e.g., in Precontemplation to raise the Pros, in Maintenance to focus on preventing relapse).
4. List and define techniques of Motivational Interviewing (MI), a way of working with clients that complements the TTM to support behavior change.

Initial course users have said:

“My experience with e-Learning training left me with a thorough understanding of the stages of behavior change as they are applied in assisting members/participants in changing lifestyle behaviors. There were excellent examples of how to incorporate strategies and kind encouragement in meeting a participant member where they currently are in their journey of making changes toward a healthier way of living.” (Coach)

“My first gut reaction is it is great, easy to follow, very organized, very professional and loaded with information. It is great to review in such a well thought out format.” (Health Professional)

“…the virtual teacher was great-not too robotic, which some can be. And I thought the way the role-playing was handled was also great – you visually got the idea, without needing a video. The course explained many things about the TTM that were nebulous to me before.” (Researcher)

Cost: $100/user.

To order or inquire about this course, please contact Pro-Change at e-Learning@prochange.com or call 401-874-9284.

Healthways Includes Pro-Change Programs in Contract Awarded in France

Pro-Change’s partner Healthways was recently selected by France’s Caisse Nationale d’Assurance Maladie des Travailleurs Salariés (CNAMTS) Sophia program to improve health and well-being for all citizens with diabetes, in France and French Territories overseas. Integration of the CNAMTS information system and Healthways’ Embrace™ Platform and infrastructure is expected to take 7-8 months, during which period Altran, the French consulting firm will provide expert technology consulting services. At the same time, the CNAMTS clinicians will be trained in the Transtheoretical Model of Behavior Change theory and practice. The Embrace software to be used includes Pro-Change’s programs that match interventions to the individual patient’s stages of change. Pro-Change’s behavior change programs received the URAC Gold Medal Award for their LifeStyle Management Suite.

The 4-year contract awarded to Healthways, in partnership with Altran (Euronext: ALT), was made following an extensive evaluation process which reviewed proposals from approximately 20 potential service providers including two global technology firms, a multinational health insurance firm, a multinational pharmacy benefits manager, and the incumbent service supplier.

Pro-Change accompanied Healthways to Paris to be part of the evaluation process. The national health care system in France is rated as the best in the world by the World Health Organization. Janice M. Prochaska, President & CEO of Pro-Change stated, “Given how competitive this process was and given the high esteem of France’s health care system, it is an honor for Pro-Change to contribute to this contract.” For a full press release of this contract in PDF, click here.

About CNAMTS
La Caisse Nationale d’Assurance Maladie des Travailleurs Salariés (CNAMTS), the national health insurance fund for salaried workers in France, is under the supervision of both the Health Ministry and Finance and Economy Ministry. CNAMTS is the primary health insurer for 56 million lives, almost 86% of the French population. It is also responsible for optimization of the healthcare system as well as implementing coordinated treatment pathways throughout the country, with the primary care doctor at the centre of this system. As the key player in the healthcare system for which it ensures medical control, CNAMTS ensures that expenditures are balanced with allocated public resources. For more information, please visit www.ameli.fr.

About Altran
As European leader in Innovation and High-Tech Consulting, Altran has been providing services for almost thirty years to key players in the Automotive, Aeronautics, Telecoms, Energy, Healthcare and Finance sectors. Thanks to its expertise in the fields of advanced technology and innovation, the Group is able to advise and accompany its clients in the creation and development of their products and services. Present at every stage of project development from strategic planning through to manufacturing, Altran provides new technology services in the fields of Innovation Management, Mechanical Engineering, Engineering and Embedded Systems, IT Systems and Performance Management. For more information, please visit www.altran.com.

About Healthways
For more information about Healthways, please visit www.healthways.com.

Pro-Change Delivers a Very Strong Presence at the 21st Annual Art & Science of Health Promotion Conference

Pro-Change Behavior Systems, Inc. founder James P. Prochaska, Ph.D., and Senior Vice Presidents Kerry Evers, Ph.D., and Sara Johnson, Ph.D., delivered break-out sessions and research reports at the 21st Annual Art and Science of Health Promotion Conference on March 23-25, 2011 at The Broadmoor, Colorado Springs, Colorado.

Over the course of three days, a series of keynote lectures, breakout sessions, and poster sessions addressed the conference theme, “Capturing the Wisdom of Practice and the Rigor of Research: Discovering the Best Health Promotion Strategies.” Two sessions were delivered by Prochaska on “Breakthroughs in the Science of Health Behavior Change” and “Breakthroughs in the Practice of Health Behavior Change”; two sessions by Evers on “The Science of Well-Being: Impact on Productivity” and “The Science of Well-Being: Implications for Program Development”; and a research report by Johnson on “Options for Tailoring Multiple Behavior Change Interventions: How Can We Maximize Co-Variation?”

Poster sessions were also presented on three of Pro-Change’s programs: “Randomized Trial of a Computer-Tailored Intervention for Patients with Depression” (Deborah A. Levesque, Ph.D., et al.); Development and Usability Testing of a Financial Well-Being Intervention Combining the Wisdom of Practice and the Rigor of Science” (Sara S. Johnson, et al.), and “Proactive Health Consumer: Research and Development of an Innovative Program” (Carol Cummins, et al.).

About Art & Science of Health Promotion Conference
The Annual Conference, organized by the American Journal of Health Promotion, has a long standing tradition of bringing together practitioners, scientists, and educators from across disciplines to learn and share their experience with health promoters. For more informaton, please visit http://www.healthpromotionconference.org/.

Pro-Change Sponsors Multiple Health Behavior Change Course at SBM

On April 27, 2011, Pro-Change Behavior Systems, Inc., a leader in multiple behavior change, is sponsoring a full-day Special Interest Group course on “Multiple Health Behavior Change: State of the Science and Opportunities for Collaboration” at the 32nd Annual Meeting and Scientific Sessions of the Society of Behavioral Medicine (SBM) in Washington, D.C.

Organizers of the Pre-Conference Day Workshop, Kerry Evers, Ph.D. and Claudio Nigg, Ph.D., will showcase the latest advances in research and innovations in the multiple behavior change area and will provide opportunities for collaboration and networking among attendees. James O. Prochaska, Ph.D., founder of Pro-Change, will provide the lead-in lecture, giving an update on the field, reviewing recent research, and speaking to the future. A series of multiple behavior change investigators will follow, including Brian Oldenburg, Ph.D., Sara Johnson, Ph.D., and Judith Prochaska, Ph.D., as well as Jonathan King, Ph.D. from the National Institute on Aging. The afternoon will involve breakout sessions on four specific areas, including special populations and intervention designs. To register for the course or conference, contact http://www.sbm.org/meetings.

Also at the conference on Friday afternoon April 29, 2011, Pro-Change staff, Drs. Leanne Mauriello and Kerry Evers, will lead a symposium titled “Successful Dissemination from Start to Finish: Innovative Strategies for Achieving Success in Recruitment, Delivery, and Retention of Behavior Change Programs.” Presenters will include Chris Carter from MeYouHealth on “Lessons learned in Engaging Participants”; Deborah Van Marter from Pro-Change on “Designing and Implementing Behavior Change Programs for Dissemination Across a Variety of Delivery Channels”, and Drs. Yun Lee and Murat Kalayoglu from Health Honors on “Behavioral Sustainment through Behavioral Economics.”

Finally, Simay Gokbayrak, B.A. will lead a poster session on Pro-Change’s recent successful pilot titled “Responsible Drinking for Employees: Preliminary Outcomes of an Internet-Delivered Tailored Intervention.”

“We are very pleased to have such a strong presence at the Society of Behavioral Medicine this year, especially for our Multiple Behavior Change efforts,” stated Janice M. Prochaska, Ph.D., President and CEO of Pro-Change.

About the Society of Behavioral Medicine (SBM)
The Society of Behavioral Medicine is a multidisciplinary organization of clinicians, educators, and scientists dedicated to promoting the study of the interactions of behavior with biology and the environment, and the application of that knowledge to improve the health and well-being of individuals, families, communities, and populations. For more information about SBM, please visit www.sbm.org.

Pro-Change’s Founder James O. Prochaska, PhD Receives the Beckman Award

On March 5, 2011 at Columbia University’s Faculty Club, James O. Prochaska, PhD was one of six inaugural recipients to receive the Beckman Award.

The Beckman Award is given to current or former academic faculty members who have inspired their students to establish, on a lasting basis, a movement of major benefit to the community at large. Jim was nominated by John Norcross, PhD, Professor of Psychology and Distinguished University Fellow, University of Scranton and Editor-in-Chief of Clinical Psychology. John was Jim’s graduate student 30 years ago when he worked with Jim on the first National Cancer Institute grant studying the Stages of Change.

In his nomination, Dr. Norcross stated:

“Search Google for the stages of change and you will discover over 10,100,000 sources. Venture into the professional literature and you will find more than 3,000 journal articles on psychology’s electronic database. Pick up virtually any textbook on the addictions, clinical psychology, health psychology, behavior change, or health promotion and you will assuredly discover a section dealing with the stages of change (precontemplation, contemplation, preparation, action, and maintenance) and the broader transtheoretical model. That has been the direct result of Dr. Prochaska’s pioneering research and inspiring generations of scientist-practitioners.”

Dr. Norcross went on to state:

“But professional popularity does not begin to describe the stages’ revolutionary impact on behavior change around the world. Thirty years ago, practically all attempts at behavior change (e.g., psychotherapy, medication, self-initiated change, health promotion) targeted individuals in the action stage: aware of their problem and ready to change it. Unfortunately, only 20% of individuals suffering from life-threatening problems are in the action stage; that is, most treatments were ignoring or mistreating 80% of the population. As a concept, the stages of change represented a paradigm change: from targeting only 20% of the population in the action stage to treating entire populations in all stages. As a procedure, stage-matching interventions lead to tremendous advances in our ability to (a) reach at least four times as many people suffering from behavioral disorders and (b) increase our effectiveness in helping them restore their health and well-being.”

Jim donated part of the Beckman Award to support a special Speakers Series to celebrate the 50th Anniversary of the Psychology Department and the 30th Anniversary of the Cancer Prevention Research Center at the University of Rhode Island. He also donated part of the award to the Star Island Conference Center for multi-generational conferences designed to enhance the well-being of families from newborns all the way to their great grandparents.

About Elizabeth Hurlock Beckman Award Trust
Dr. Elizabeth Hurlock Beckman was an educator, a renowned author, and a pioneer in the field of psychology. She was one of the first female Psychology professors at Columbia University and she taught at the University of Pennsylvania. She authored nine books and textbooks about child and adolescent psychology. She was a clinician of gender equality and an advocate for the advancement of women in academia. Gail McKnight Beckman created the award in memory of her mother. For additional information, please visit www.wellsfargo.com/privatefoundationgrants/beckman.

Pro-Change Programs Included in a Successful Study with the German Health Insurance Society

A November, 2010 article in the Population Health Management journal by Hamar et al. reported on “The Impact of a Proactive Chronic Care Management Program on Hospital Admission Rates in a German Health Insurance Society.” The study evaluated patients who suffered from coronary artery disease, heart failure, diabetes, or chronic obstructive pulmonary disease who consented to participate in the chronic care management program administered by Healthways, Inc. in Germany.

The nurses were trained in the Transtheoretical Model of Behavior Change theory and practice. They used software with Pro-Change’s programs that matched the interventions that they offered to the individual patient’s stage of change. Changes in admission rates were calculated from the year prior to and year after program commencement. Overall, the admission rate in the Intervention group decreased by 6.2% compared with a 14.9% increase in the Comparison group. Additionally, the Intervention group admissions decreased as the number of calls increased indicating a dose-response relationship.

These findings indicate that proactive chronic care management calls can help reduce hospital admissions among German health insurance members with chronic diseases. “The Impact of a Proactive Chronic Care Management Program on Hospital Admission Rates in a German Health Insurance Society” is available online at http://www.liebertonline.com/doi/full/10.1089/pop.2010.0032

About Healthways, Inc.
Healthways is the leading provider of specialized, comprehensive solutions to help millions of people maintain or improve their health and well-being and, as a result, reduce overall costs. Healthways’ solutions are designed to keep healthy people healthy, reduce health-related risks and optimize care for those with chronic illness. Healthways’ proven, evidence-based programs provide highly specific and personalized interventions for each individual in a population, irrespective of age or health status, and are delivered to consumers by phone, mail, Internet, and face-to-face interactions, both domestically and internationally. For more information, please visit www.healthways.com.

Pro-Change Awarded Two Subcontracts to Work with Veterans in Hawaii

Two subcontracts with the Pacific Health Research and Education Institute have been awarded to Pro-Change Behavior Systems, Inc. through funding from the Telemedicine & Advanced Technology Research Center (TATRC), an office of the U.S. Army Medical Research and Materiel Command (USAMRMC). Dr. Kerry Evers, Senior Vice President at Pro-Change is proud to be working with the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) in the Pacific. “I think all of us are committed to finding ways to give back to those Veterans who have served on our behalf,” she said. “This work allows us to apply our evidenced-based behavior change strategies to the Veteran population and examine their effectiveness.

The first grant, “Computerized Tailored Interventions for Behavioral Sequelae of Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder in Veterans” will use Pro-Change’s evidence-based URAC Gold Award winning Stress Management, Depression Prevention, and Smoking Cessation programs, customized for military Veterans who are at risk for Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD). The aim of this project is to enhance the emotional and physical well-being of Veterans, particularly those who have served in Iraq and Afghanistan. The goal of the study will be the reduction of stress, depression, smoking, and PTSD symptomology through the use of online computerized tailored interventions.

The second grant, Cell Phone Based Expert Systems for Smoking Cessation, will use Pro-Change’s evidence-based URAC Gold Award-winning Smoking Cessation program customized for the Veteran population with added personalized feedback through text messaging. “Mobile phones represent a new channel for tailored information to be delivered quickly and inexpensively,” notes Dr. Patricia Jordan, Principal Investigator of the project. “According to recent statistics, almost nine out of ten adults own a wireless or cell phone, and 15% own a Blackberry, Palm, or other Personal Digital Assistant. There is no reason that we cannot be reaching out to people wherever they may be to provide effective teleheath in a number of areas.”

A 3-month randomized control pilot will be conducted to assess the effectiveness of the program to facilitate greater progress to quitting smoking compared to a Computer Tailored Intervention (CTI) assessment and feedback report only. This is the first study to adopt a smoking cessation Internet-based CTI combined with text messaging to change smoking behavior in military Veterans.

About the Pacific Health Research and Education Institute
The Pacific Health Research and Education Institute (PHREI) is an affiliate of the VA Pacific Islands Health Care System (PIHCS). In that role, PHREI develops and conducts research and education programs to address the health and health care needs of Veterans throughout the Pacific. Specific areas include PTSD and its impact on the Veteran, their family members, and their community. For more information, please visit www.phrei.org.

Pro-Change Working with the Multicultural Center at the University of Rhode Island

Pro-Change Behavior Systems, Inc. is collaborating with the University of Rhode Island’s (URI) Multicultural Center to help promote and evaluate multicultural competence among their student body. As part of this project, an assessment of readiness to be multiculturally competent and measures for assessing the pros and cons and self-efficacy will be developed and validated. A literature review and interviews with various experts has helped to identify these 7 key behaviors that reflect expressing multicultural competence within knowledge, awareness, and skills: 1) knowing your own cultural identity and values, 2) acknowledging multiple perspectives, 3) placing yourself outside of your comfort zone which causes you to examine your own attitudes, stereotypes, privileges, and actions, 4) engaging in multicultural organizations, activities, and classes, 5) building relationships with others from different backgrounds, 6) advocating for initiatives to advance diversity, and 7) challenging culturally insensitive remarks and behaviors. This study will identify the most important behaviors of multicultural competence.

“Being a multiculturally competent individual is not only an asset, but a requirement for succeeding in today’s global world. By exposing our student body to information and experiences related to cultures, religions, and life experiences that differ from their own and providing them with the skills necessary to be sensitive to and accepting of those differences, we are preparing them to be competent and contributing members of society,” says Melvin Wade, Director of the Multicultural Center, URI.

URI holds an extensive Diversity Week each year during which up to 75 workshops on various topics are held, all with the goal of increasing awareness, skills, and knowledge of diversity on campus and around the world. The assessments developed for this project will be used to help evaluate the effectiveness of Diversity Week at increasing multicultural competence of student attendees. The measures will provide a concrete way to assess the value and benefit in student participation of Diversity Week. In the long term, these measures also can be used to evaluate the impact that attending URI has on multicultural competence by surveying incoming first year students and then following up with them toward the end of their college tenure.

Leanne Mauriello, Ph.D., Vice President at Pro-Change, is pleased to be collaborating with the Multicultural Center on this joint venture.

“These measurement tools will help demonstrate concretely the benefit of the important work and mission of the Multicultural Center.”

About URI’s Multicultural Center
In support of the primary mission of the University toward building a culture of learning, the University of Rhode Island Multicultural Center critically engages students, faculty, staff, administrators, and other allies in creating and sustaining a campus culture in which diverse persons, organizations, and groups can learn and develop to their greatest potential, and participate in society to their maximum ability. For more information, visit http://www.uri.edu/mcc/.