One of the hot topics in Health Information Technology (HIT) today centers on medication adherence. According to the latest research, poor medication adherence rates have a negative effect on patients health. Additionally, the cost of health care continues to rise because of the overarching effect of poor adherence. There are many reasons that patients do not "adhere" or comply with their medication routines such as cost, lack of insurance, poor continuity of care, chronic conditions, side effects, or perceived benefits of treatment.

 

*Figure 1

According to the American College of Preventive Medicine (ACPM), poor medication adherence is associated with reduced treatment benefits and can obscure the provider's assessment of therapeutic effectiveness. Nonadherence also:

• Accounts for 30 to 50 percent of treatment failures
• Leads to worse outcomes
• Accounts for higher hospitalization rates, institutionalization for the frail elderly, and increased healthcare costs

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and the American College of Preventive Medicine (ACPM) agree that there is an S.I.M.P.L.E. method that can be adopted by providers to combat this issue.

• S: Simplify the regimen
• I: Impart knowledge
• M: Modify patient's beliefs and human behavior
• P: Provide communication and trust
• L: Leave the bias
• E: Evaluate adherence

Please click here to learn more about this method and to view examples of provider/patient conversations at each step.

 

*Figure 1: Gap Between a Written Prescription and Actual Medication Use [Source: National Association of Chain Drug Stores, Pharmacies: Improving Health, Reducing Costs, July 2010. Based on IMS Health data]  

 

Monday, June 22, 2015, 12:00 p.m. to 1:00 p.m.

 

Join the Million Hearts team for the second webinar in it's series to help accelerate the adoption and utilization of hypertension treatment protocols. This webinar will explore strategies used by teams to practice protocol-driven care for hypertension.  

 

Invited Speaker:

Chris Tashjian, MD, FAAFP, Million Hearts Health IT Fellow

Vibrant Health Family Clinics

"Combining Teamwork and Protocols for Measurably Improved Care"

 

 

Quality Insights welcomes any suggestions you might have for content you would like to see distributed via this forum. Please e-mail Cathy Browning or contact your Project Coordinator with your suggestions or if you have any questions concerning this project.