Physician Survey Shows Addition of Rewards-Based Adherence Solution Can Sway Prescribing Preferences By More Than Thirty Percent

Physician Survey Shows Addition of Rewards-Based Adherence Solution Can Sway Prescribing Preferences By More Than Thirty Percentage Points
HealthPrize Engagement EngineTM ranks as more important to physicians than rebates/coupons, patient education and website support as influencer to prescribe one drug over another

HealthPrize Technologies, an internet and mobile-based adherence platform that leverages behavioral economics and gaming dynamics, today announced the results of an independent physician survey conducted by the pharmaceutical marketing firm, HealthcarePanel.org. The 100-physician survey, designed to assess the value of adherence solutions and their potential to influence physicians' prescribing, found that the addition of a rewards-based medication adherence solution shifted reported prescribing preferences between two competing drugs by over 30 percentage points.

Survey respondents were asked to consider opposite scenarios involving two highly-competitive branded oral diabetes agents: (1) Drug "A" with HealthPrize and Drug "B" without, and then (2) Drug "B" with HealthPrize and Drug "A" without. The addition of the HealthPrize solution shifted reported prescribing preferences by more 30 percentage points (upwards with HealthPrize, downwards without) . Physicians were introduced to HealthPrize and its offerings via a brief description of the program, including the elements of its interactive online patient dashboard.

Physicians were also asked to judge the strength of the following potential influences on their prescribing behavior: (1) rebates/coupons, (2) patient education and support, (3) website support, (4) manufacturer and sales rep support, (5) manufacturer reputation, and (6) the HealthPrize program. The vast majority of respondents ranked HealthPrize as the strongest potential influencer among the group, with 77 percent of physicians surveyed reporting that HealthPrize would be important in their decision to prescribe one drug over another.

"We know that our adherence solution is valuable to patients, but we also wanted to assess the value of the HealthPrize system to physicians, and whether the addition of HealthPrize would influence a physician's thoughts about a medication," said Tom Kottler, CEO of HealthPrize Technologies. "We were very pleased to see physicians' positive response to HealthPrize. It certainly reflects a serious desire for more creative adherence solutions."

The following are additional key findings of the study:


    Physicians felt that only about 60 percent of their patients were adequately compliant with their medications;
    Eighty-nine percent of physicians were comfortable with the idea of rewarding patients for adherence, in combination with education;
    Eighty-six percent felt that the HealthPrize program would be very valuable in its potential to increase medication adherence;
    And eighty-six percent answered that receiving adherence data on their patients through HealthPrize would be valuable to them.

Dr. Katrina Firlik, HealthPrize's Chief Medical Officer, explains: "Physicians realize that their clinical decisions regarding dosage and medication changes are often compromised by a lack of objective adherence data on their patients. They often don't know if the drug failed the patient or if the patient failed the drug. HealthPrize can provide them with the data they need to make better clinical and prescribing decisions."

HealthPrize is an internet and mobile-based adherence platform that uses behavioral economics and gaming dynamics to leverage the combined power of financial rewards, education, and reminders to motivate patients to remain compliant with prescription medications. Non-adherence to medications is one of the most significant and costly problems in healthcare, accounting for an estimated $290 billion in otherwise avoidable medical spending per year due to preventable complications of chronic disease.

The survey was completed by 100 qualified physicians who treat patients with diabetes, hypertension and high cholesterol. Physicians were qualified if they were board certified and treated a patient population for which at least 30 percent were diabetic.

Physician responses to HealthPrize generally were overwhelmingly positive. According to one participant: "I think it is a great idea...I think it would dramatically increase compliance in a positive reinforcement method. With the widespread usage of smart phones and computers in the work place, people would be able to visit the site at any time. This plan is ingenious!"

For complete survey results, contact Katrina Firlik, kfirlik(at)healthprize(dot)com.

About HealthPrize Technologies
HealthPrize Technologies, founded in September 2009, provides an innovative approach to addressing the problem of medication non-adherence with a program that is fun, engaging and educational. For more information, visit http://www.healthprize.com or call 203-604-6820.

MEDIA CONTACT:
Emma Douglas
KNB Communications
203-504-8230 ext. 107
edouglas(at)knbpr(dot)com