High-Tech Trends: How Patient Adherence and Engagement Solutions Are Evolving

Medication non-adherence continues to negatively impact health outcomes for patients. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) reports that not taking medication as prescribed causes 125,000 deaths per year in the United States and 30-50% of chronic disease treatment failures. Recognizing this, pharma stakeholders are exploring new and innovative ways to reach patients and prevent therapy dropoff. What are the adherence-related trends to watch, and what should manufacturers be wary of as they explore adherence solutions in the digital age? There are two key areas where technology is enabling the evolution of adherence support.

Identifying patient needs and barriers to care

Today’s technology makes a better understanding of patient needs a reality, with tools and methodologies that help manufacturers unlock more information about the patient experience and total health picture. Lash Group data shows that 70% of patients use some type of reminder service to manage medication adherence, whether it’s email, text or a mobile app. Patients are also more willing than ever to wear and share their health data.

How to leverage the technology: Machine learning and artificial intelligence (AI) can predict which patients will require the most adherence support and recommend specific technology interventions. These technologies can also be deployed to address real-time needs and provide personalized clinical support.

Lash Group will leverage these technologies through our collaboration with AllazoHealth, deploying the AllazoEngine to recommend a specific cadence and intervention type. Engagement methods can include motivational text messages to patients, targeted touchpoints by a clinician or simple reminders delivered through our multi-channel services. The ability to correlate specific patient behavior with individualized predictive risk allows Lash Group to adjust our communication style with each patient and recommend the most appropriate interventions within a care map.

What to avoid: Total reliance on technology. A blend of technology, empathy and expertise has the ability to improve adherence for a greater number of patients. Lash Group relies on people to leverage technology and the information it yields, and to apply clinical expertise to complex journeys. Our URAC Core accredited Clinical Services, seasoned telehealth nurses and additional field nurse team emphasize empathy by training for higher cognitive, social and emotional skills.

Meeting patients where they are
Advances in high-tech, omni-channel patient engagement technologies are all around us. The most advanced patient support platforms can automate workflows to schedule and track tasks, from the simplest reminder to the highest-touch clinical intervention. Mobile apps can be deployed to engage patients after therapy is prescribed but before the first fill, helping manage anxiety and begin education while the patient waits for approval and medication. Mobile is a powerful and effective tool for addressing early barriers to therapy and monitoring patients throughout their journey. The influx of engagement options is a step in the right direction in terms of right-sizing a program.

How to leverage the technology: Engaging patients on the technological level or platform they’re most comfortable with and deploying a tailored adherence solution to account for the multiple factors that might contribute to non-adherence is essential. If step one is utilizing technology to identify adherence challenges, tailoring the engagement to the treatment journey is step two.

Through Lash Group’s innovative collaboration, the Medisafe mobile application will provide real-time, personalized interventions based on actual patient behaviors. Medisafe will help Lash Group establish a digital relationship across the patient journey to fill in the gaps between refills and scheduled interventions.

What to avoid: Engagement platform options are popping up everywhere and engaging one-off providers for the hottest new tools or outsourced services may be tempting. While disruption is good for the industry at large, consider the reach and resources, experience and integration abilities of a full-service hub provider. An experienced provider like Lash Group, can leverage their breadth, depth and position as an industry pioneer to design solutions that fit the needs of manufacturers and patients.

Building support around the patient – not the technology
The ability to predict adherence risk and address it with omni-channel engagement has the potential to transform outcomes. Manufacturers who master this technological two-step have the potential for long-term commercial success. But as pharma navigates these advances in patient services, putting the patient at the center of the solution should be any program’s north star. Both technology and people should meet patients where they are, in the therapeutic journey and in life.