MONTREAL AND TORONTO, Oct. 26, 2011 /CNW Telbec/ - The Institute for Optimizing Health Outcomes (IOHO) and Sanofi announced today the release of a white paper entitled "Health Coaching for Chronic Conditions; Engaging and Supporting Patients to Self Manage". The paper brings together essential sources of knowledge that underscore the necessity for health coaching, in addition to education, to facilitate optimal self-management of chronic disease and reduce overall healthcare costs.

Currently, chronic diseases (such as diabetes, heart disease and cancer) are the leading cause of death and disability throughout the developed worldⁱ, and in Canada account for 89% of all deathsⁱⁱ. They also are responsible for significant cost to the health care system. Diabetes alone had an estimated annual cost of $6.7 billion in 2011.ⁱⁱⁱ "Patients inherently want to self-manage their chronic conditions," said Durhane Wong-Rieger, President of the Institute for Optimizing Health Outcomes, "but they may experience many barriers, such as lack of motivation, unrealistic goals, or competing priorities, which interfere with the ability to adhere to prescribed treatment or to make lifestyle changes.  Health care systems, designed primarily for acute care, are generally not set up to support self-care, and healthcare professionals often lack the tools and training.  And that's why health coaching is so important."

"At Sanofi, we are constantly looking for solutions for physicians and patients that allow them to manage disease better," said Stan Glezer, Vice President of Medical Affairs at Sanofi Canada. "We know education alone is insufficient to sustain long-term behaviour changes. We have witnessed the effectiveness of health coaching as a means for healthcare professionals to engage and support patient self-management and the impact on patients to achieve better health outcomes and, ultimately, to use health resources more appropriately."

Earlier this year, the IOHO and Sanofi announced a partnership to customize a training program for Canadian healthcare practitioners who want to help their patients better manage chronic health conditions. The program, recently introduced at the 1^st Canadian Summit on Coaching for Self-Management Support, has three components:  skills training, enrolment in a community of practice, and certification.  Certification is a pre-requisite to the "train-the-trainers" program to be offered next year. The IOHO health coaching program, now being offered to healthcare professionals across Canada, brings together essential skills of motivational interviewing, solution-focused goal setting, and cognitive behaviour therapy, into a five-step coaching framework.

"We have been delighted at the response to the program.  Healthcare professionals increasingly recognize the value of empowering patients to self-manage and appreciate the practical training and the opportunity to participate in a community of practice for on-going skills development," said Wong-Rieger.

Durhane Wong-Rieger will be speaking further about the need for health coaching at the upcoming Canadian Diabetes Association (CDA) Congress in Toronto on Friday, October 28 at 10 a.m. More information can be found on the CDA Congress website http://www.diabetes.ca/for-professionals/conference/program-updates/registration-2011/.

About Institute for Optimizing Health Outcomes
The Institute for Optimizing Health Outcomes is a not-for-profit organization based in Toronto, Ontario. We bring together individuals and organizations with the commitment, experiences, and expertise to bring the vision of optimal health to reality. The Institute for Optimizing Health Outcomes serves as a catalyst and enabler for patient-centered programs, education, research and advocacy to improve care, treatment and support for all persona at risk for or living with health conditions. Our partners include patient organizations, healthcare institutions, government and industry.

About Sanofi
Sanofi, a global and diversified healthcare leader, discovers, develops and distributes therapeutic solutions focused on patients' needs. Sanofi has core strengths in the field of healthcare with seven growth platforms: diabetes solutions, human vaccines, innovative drugs, rare diseases, consumer healthcare, emerging markets and animal health.

Sanofi is represented in Canada by the pharmaceutical company sanofi-aventis Canada Inc., based in Laval, Quebec, and by the vaccines company Sanofi Pasteur Limited, based in Toronto, Ontario. Together they employ more than 2,000 people across the country. With combined R&D investments of $159.2 million in 2010, they are leaders in Canada's biopharmaceutical sector, a critical knowledge-based industry that generates jobs, business and opportunity throughout the country.

ⁱ Sabate E(2002). Adherence to long term therapies: Towards policy for action. International Journal of Behavioral Medicine,9(supp 1), 231.
ⁱⁱ World Health Organization.  (2005). Preventing chronic diseases: A vital investment: WHO global report. http://www.who.int/chp/chronic_disease_report/contents/foreword.pdf
ⁱⁱⁱ Doucet G & Beatty M (2010). The cost of diabetes in Canada: the economic tsunami. Canadian Journal of Diabetes, 34(1), 27-29.

Additonal Links

Sanofi and Sanofi Canada : www.sanofi.ca
IOHO : www.optimizinghealth.org

Image with caption: "Durhane Wong-Rieger, President of the Institute for Optimizing Health Outcomes (CNW Group/Sanofi Canada)". Image available at: http://photos.newswire.ca/images/download/20111026_C7338_PHOTO_EN_5600.jpg

Video with caption: "A shift in chronic disease management". Video available at: http://stream1.newswire.ca/cgi-bin/playback.cgi?file=20111026_C7338_VIDEO_EN_5601.mp4&posterurl=http://photos.newswire.ca/images/20111026_C7338_PHOTO_EN_
5601.jpg&clientName=Sanofi%20Canada&caption=A%20shift%20in%20chronic%20disease%20management&title=A%20shift
%20in%20chronic%20disease%20management

Video with caption: "Barriers to self management". Video available at: http://stream1.newswire.ca/cgi-bin/playback.cgi?file=20111026_C7338_VIDEO_EN_5602.mp4&posterurl=http://photos.newswire.ca/images/20111026_C7338_PHOTO_EN_
5602.jpg&clientName=Sanofi%20Canada&caption=Barriers%20to%20self%20management&title=Barriers%20to%20self%
20management

Video with caption: "Health coaching and self management". Video available at: http://stream1.newswire.ca/cgi-bin/playback.cgi?file=20111026_C7338_VIDEO_EN_5603.mp4&posterurl=http://photos.newswire.ca/images/20111026_C7338_PHOTO_EN_
5603.jpg&clientName=Sanofi%20Canada&caption=Health%20coaching%20and%20self%20management&title=Health%20
coaching%20and%20self%20management

Video with caption: "Burden of chronic disease". Video available at: http://stream1.newswire.ca/cgi-bin/playback.cgi?file=20111026_C7338_VIDEO_EN_5604.mp4&posterurl=http://photos.newswire.ca/images/20111026_C7338_PHOTO_EN_
5604.jpg&clientName=Sanofi%20Canada&caption=Burden%20of%20chronic%20disease&title=Burden%20of%20chronic%
20disease

Video with caption: "Definition of chronic disease". Video available at: http://stream1.newswire.ca/cgi-bin/playback.cgi?file=20111026_C7338_VIDEO_EN_5605.mp4&posterurl=http://photos.newswire.ca/images/20111026_C7338_PHOTO_EN
_5605.jpg&clientName=Sanofi%20Canada&caption=Definition%20of%20chronic%20disease&title=Definition%20of%20
chronic%20disease

Video with caption: "Diabetes and treatment adherence". Video available at: http://stream1.newswire.ca/cgi-bin/playback.cgi?file=20111026_C7338_VIDEO_EN_5606.mp4&posterurl=http://photos.newswire.ca/images/20111026_C7338_PHOTO_EN
_5606.jpg&clientName=Sanofi%20Canada&caption=Diabetes%20and%20treatment%20adherence&title=Diabetes%20and
%20treatment%20adherence

Video with caption: "Health coaching outcomes". Video available at: http://stream1.newswire.ca/cgi-bin/playback.cgi?file=20111026_C7338_VIDEO_EN_5607.mp4&posterurl=http://photos.newswire.ca/images/20111026_C7338_PHOTO_EN
_5607.jpg&clientName=Sanofi%20Canada&caption=Health%20coaching%20outcomes&title=Health%20coaching%20
outcomes

Video with caption: "Health coaching". Video available at: http://stream1.newswire.ca/cgi-bin/playback.cgi?file=20111026_C7338_VIDEO_EN_5608.mp4&posterurl=http://photos.newswire.ca/images/20111026_C7338_PHOTO_EN
_5608.jpg&clientName=Sanofi%20Canada&caption=Health%20coaching&title=Health%20coaching

Video with caption: "IOHO and Sanofi health coaching". Video available at: http://stream1.newswire.ca/cgi-bin/playback.cgi?file=20111026_C7338_VIDEO_EN_5609.mp4&posterurl=http://photos.newswire.ca/images/20111026_C7338_PHOTO_EN
_5609.jpg&clientName=Sanofi%20Canada&caption=IOHO%20and%20Sanofi%20health%20coaching&title=IOHO%20and
%20Sanofi%20health%20coaching

Video with caption: "Role in chronic disease management". Video available at: http://stream1.newswire.ca/cgi-bin/playback.cgi?file=20111026_C7338_VIDEO_EN_5610.mp4&posterurl=http://photos.newswire.ca/images/20111026_C7338_PHOTO_EN_
5610.jpg&clientName=Sanofi%20Canada&caption=Role%20in%20chronic%20disease%20management&title=Role%20in%
20chronic%20disease%20management

Video with caption: "Sanofi Canada's patient-centric vision". Video available at: http://stream1.newswire.ca/cgi-bin/playback.cgi?file=20111026_C7338_VIDEO_EN_5611.mp4&posterurl=http://photos.newswire.ca/images/20111026_C7338_PHOTO_EN_
5611.jpg&clientName=Sanofi%20Canada&caption=Sanofi%20Canada%27s%20patient%2Dcentric%20vision&title=Sanofi%
20Canada%27s%20patient%2Dcentric%20vision

Video with caption: "Partenariat entre Sanofi Canada et IOHO ". Video available at: http://stream1.newswire.ca/cgi-bin/playback.
cgifile=20111026_C7338_VIDEO_EN_5614.mp4&posterurl=http://photos.newswire.ca/images/20111026_C7338_PHOTO_
EN_5614.jpg&clientName=Sanofi%20Canada&caption=Partenariat%20entre%20Sanofi%20Canada%20et%20IOHO%20&
title=Partenariat%20entre%20Sanofi%20Canada%20et%20IOHO%20

Video with caption: "Un changement dans la gestion des maladies chroniques". Video available at: http://stream1.newswire.ca/cgi-bin/playback.cgifile=20111026_C7338_VIDEO_EN_5615.mp4&posterurl=http://photos.newswire.ca/images/20111026_C7338
_PHOTO_EN_5615.jpg&clientName=Sanofi%20Canada&caption=Un%20changement%20dans%20la%20gestion%20des
%20maladies%20chroniques&title=Un%20changement%20dans%20la%20gestion%20des%20maladies%20chroniques

PDF with caption: "Summary of White paper". PDF available at: http://stream1.newswire.ca/media/2011/10/26/20111026_C7338_DOC_EN_5612.pdf

PDF with caption: "Health Coaching for Chronic Conditions - Engaging and Supporting Patients to Self Manage". PDF available at: http://stream1.newswire.ca/media/2011/10/26/20111026_C7338_DOC_EN_5613.pdf