Three data-driven practices that boost adherence

Medication adherence is a significant healthcare challenge for organizations across the country, and around the world. In 2003, the World Health Organization (WHO) pegged nonadherence as the leading cause of preventable mortality, morbidity and healthcare costs. In fact, half of all patients do not take their medications as prescribed, and at least 125,000 Americans die annually due to nonadherence, likely exacerbated by the fact that compliance is lowest among patients with chronic illnesses.

Not only is nonadherence a tremendous public health problem, it’s also a huge driver in the high cost of healthcare, adding nearly $300 billion annually in related expenses, such as increased emergency room visits and hospital stays.

For managed care organizations, the financial risk could grow even larger as bundled payment programs begin to gain traction. In instances where reimbursements may be cut or penalties levied against organizations with high readmission rates and other negative performance factors, non-adherence could mean a significant blow to fiscal stability, not to mention the overarching concern of patient population health.

Adherence failure points

A number of causes play into nonadherence, whether it be failure to take the prescribed dosage, at the right time and frequency, or failure to fill the prescription at all. Of course, some medications are simply prohibitively expensive. If it comes down to choosing between food and medicine-a situation far too many find themselves in-most patients would obviously choose to eat. To aid in affordability, many providers have begun offering patient assistance programs and some manufacturers also now offer discount programs, which helps, but isn’t always the answer. Where transportation is an obstacle, connecting patients with pharmacies that deliver or mail-order services for long-term supplies is a solution.

Patient education is an issue in some cases. For those with chronic illnesses, it’s not unusual for patients to be taking five or more drugs, and they’re simply confused about what they should be taking, why it’s important, how often it must be refilled and what’s the proper frequency and dosage for all of their medications. Here’s where patient education programs can help. By working individually with patients to develop an adherence plan, organizations can dramatically improve compliance, but of course, this approach can also be costly and time-consuming, especially when resources are already limited.

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