PORTLAND, Ore., Sept. 14, 2022 -- As more than one in five Americans struggle with chronic pain, WebMD Health Services today announced a new partnership with Fern Health, a leading digital platform giving employees and health plan members the guidance and tools they need to address the underlying causes of persistent pain.
The new offering, available through WebMD ONE, features programs for chronic pain conditions such as musculoskeletal pain, migraines, and fibromyalgia. The Fern Health program, developed in partnership with leading pain physicians from Massachusetts General Hospital, supports participants in identifying how pain impacts their life and helps them set goals related to exercise therapy, emotional health, movement, sleep, and nutrition.
Uniquely combined with WebMD Health Services certified pain coaches, individuals are supported through a self-paced digital journey via mobile and web browser-enabled applications, chats and telephone check-ins.
Chronic pain is the leading cause of disability in the U.S. and impacts mental health and overall quality of life for more than 50 million Americans. The economic impact is estimated at more than $500 billion annually, more than any other chronic health condition.
"Millions of people live with chronic pain, and most do not have access to true multidisciplinary pain management," said Bruce Foyt, WebMD Health Services Vice President, Partnerships. "With Fern Health, we can offer employers and health plans evidence-based programs to fill this enormous gap, while helping to reduce the social and economic impact of chronic pain both in and out of the workplace."
"Chronic pain is developed by both psychological and physical factors. Our clinically validated, holistic pain programs deliver meaningful and life-enhancing results for chronic pain sufferers," said Brad Lawson, Chief Executive Officer at Fern Health. "Partnering with WebMD Health Services gives us an opportunity to extend the work we do -- offering employers and health plans the opportunity to help their employees and plan members live better, more functioning lives, while potentially reducing health costs. We look forward to making a difference with WebMD Health Services, their health coaches, and their customers."
About WebMD Health Services
WebMD Health Services, a part of WebMD Health Corp., has over 20 years of experience driving positive behavior changes. Consumers trust WebMD for reliable, accurate, and clear answers to their most pressing health-related questions. At WebMD Health Services, we tap into these valuable consumer insights to design and implement successful, engaging solutions to help individuals meet their well-being needs. We understand that there are numerous paths
to reach well-being goals. Our expertise, combined with a variety of third-party partner integrations, enables us to deliver unique and personalized experiences across a wide range of industries. See how we support these diverse populations at webmdhealthservices.com.
About WebMD Health Corp.
WebMD, an Internet Brands company, is at the heart of the digital health revolution that is transforming the healthcare experience for consumers, patients, healthcare professionals, employers, health plans and health systems. Through public and private online portals, mobile platforms, and health-focused publications, WebMD delivers leading-edge content and digital services that enable and improve decision-making, support and motivate health actions, streamline and simplify the healthcare journey, and improve patient care.
The WebMD Health Network includes WebMD Health, Medscape, Jobson Healthcare Information, MediQuality, Frontline, Vitals Consumer Services, Aptus Health, Krames, PulsePoint, The Wellness Network, SanovaWorks, MedicineNet, eMedicineHealth, RxList, OnHealth, Medscape Education, and other owned WebMD sites. WebMD®, Medscape®, CME Circle®, Medpulse®, eMedicine®, MedicineNet®, theheart.org® and RxList® are among the trademarks of WebMD Health Corp. or its subsidiaries.
About Fern Health
Available through employers and health plans, Fern Health's digital pain platform addresses the underlying causes of persistent pain, not just the symptoms. Guided programs deliver exercise therapy, interventions for sleep, nutrition, daily movement, and emotional health. Every member is supported through pain-focused 1:1 clinical coaching and pain neuroscience education to improve function, reduce pain, and avoid unnecessary healthcare costs. Fern Health is majority owned by German life science company Grünenthal International, with other minority investors. Learn more at www.fernhealth.com.