AUCKLAND, New Zealand, September 04, 2008 – Healthphone has been awarded the Telecommunication Users Association of New Zealand (TUANZ) 2008 Award for Innovation in Health.  HME- STOMP (STop smoking Over Mobile Phone), Healthphone’s smoking cessation text messaging service, received the accolade as the best telecommunications product or application contributing to health outcomes.

The next-generation service is based on clinically-proved research carried out Auckland University’s Clinical Trials Research Unit that showed using STOMP doubled reported quit rates from 13 per cent to 28 per cent after six weeks.  Smokers aiming to quite are sent a series of personalized text messages over a 26-week period, which are tailored to participants’ demographic and smoking cessation information.   The program’s range of interactive features differentiates it from less sophisticated reminder-based services.  Participants can text ‘crave’ if they feel the need for a smoke, or ‘relapse’ if they find themselves returning to old smoking habits. 

HME-STOMP is successfully implemented in New Zealand and the USA, with Canada, Singapore and Australia coming soon. After 10 weeks in operation, there have been over 1,000 smokers enrolled in the New Zealand program, with around 100 smokers joining each week.

Collecting the award on behalf of Healthphone, Matt Hector-Taylor, President and Chief Strategy Officer said, “HME-STOMP is a great example of how technology can have a very significant and positive public health impact. STOMP offers people a clinically-proven and effective way to use their mobile phone to support them towards a healthier lifestyle  With mobile phone coverage predicted to reach 90% of the global population by 2010 and our strong international relationships with leading Telco’s and Service Providers, we want HME- STOMP to become a leading weapon in fighting what the World Health Organization calls the smoking epidemic”

The service runs on the Healthphone Messaging Engine which can be tailored to a variety of scenarios, is easy to manage and to integrate with other public health services and campaigns.  It can also be adapted for other patient self-care programmes offered by heath providers such as hypertension, CVD, diet, nutrition and rehabilitation programmes.

In New Zealand, STOMP is available nationwide as a government-funded, free to use smoking cessation service called ‘Txt2Quit’.  In America, Mohave County Department of Public Health are using STOMP to reach young smokers, and will enrol high school students caught smoking into the service as a form of youth diversion instead of suspending them from school.  Canada’s second largest telecommunications carrier, TELUS plans to offer the service as an employee health benefit.

Healthphone extends its congratulations to the other 2008 TUANZ winners.

- ends -

About Healthphone Solutions

Healthphone develops health industry solutions that use every-day Microsoft technology to empower people with relevant health information at the point of care. Healthphone is Microsoft’s Global Lead Solution Partner for long term condition management. Headquartered in Seattle, Healthphone has offices in Australia, Canada and Singapore, and a development center in New Zealand. For more information, please visit www.healthphonesolutions.com.

About the TUANZ Awards

TUANZ is a not-for-profit organization that represents end-users of telecommunications in New Zealand. Their annual awards ceremony recognizes outstanding innovation within the telecommunications arena in New Zealand, across 13 categories. For more information on the award visit www.tuanz.org.nz/content/41125f34-93bf-494a-846f-628b1f4f5498.html.