In an unprecedented partnership between an insurance company and an online social network, Aetna has teamed with OneRecovery.com, a Web site that serves as an Internet community for people recovering from alcohol, drug abuse, and eating disorders, connecting them with each other and with healthcare professionals.
The site, which was founded in 2007 in Del Mar, Calif. by David Metzler (himself a recovering addict) will play an important role in Aetna Behavioral Health's Alcohol Disease Management and Intensive Care Management programs, and there are plans to integrate its use into the Employee Assistance Program.
"Aetna continues to be an innovator," says OneRecovery.com founder David Metzler. "They're leading the charge right now on looking for ways to change the behavioral health side of things, and thereby change the medical cost side of things."
"The power of social networking to help people maintain and achieve health is a critical area for us," says Hyong Un, MD, Aetna Behavioral Health's chief medical officer. "And particularly in the substance area. There's a long tradition of social supports, whether it's the 12-step program or other programs like that. This is a natural extension of that."
But don't be misled, says OneRecovery's chief marketing officer Drew Paxton. "This is not just a Facebook for people in recovery."
Indeed, says Un, Aetna was attracted to the site by its clinical rigor, "its well thought out and accessible interface," and, especially, "we were very impressed with the privacy and confidentiality that was set. That's an absolute requirement for us."
For Metzler's part, he believes sites like OneRecovery, where users can easily access the support they need, connecting with "real time communication structures" and accessing "the information they want" without necessarily having to seek out in-person meetings, will become more and more widespread.
And, soon, they'll start evolving to serve other health needs. "We're starting with addiction, but our product is really built to do multiple different verticals," he says. "The core concept is ubiquitous. People need support whether they're doing weight loss or fighting addiction."
Soon, he says, this "paradigm shift from a traditional model" should pay dividends – both monetary and salutary.
"Look at the stats: an educated, informed population uses about 20 percent less of their healthcare resources."
Ultimately, says Un, "we're interested in looking at changing health behaviors – how to get people to do the right things. Very often, that requires not only the intervention of clinicians and families and other supports, but also others who are struggling with that issue and who have made the journey to recovery. I think social media is a very powerful way to do that."