Improving Adherence
Nevertheless, patients can still decide to opt out of their treatment. Even if they show up for the visit, they may reject
the idea that they need therapy. In fact, 47 percent of patients fail to comply with therapy because they are not convinced
that they need it, according to data compiled by Wilson Health Information. Even if they agree that they need some intervention,
they may nevertheless forget to fill their prescription. Or if they do fill their prescription, they may fail to take their
medication as directed.
For example, in an article published in the Journal of the American Medical Association in December, 2002, Brian Haynes, MD, wrote that among patients who have been told to stop smoking, lose weight, or eat healthier
foods, less than 10 percent comply. Ironically, Haynes also found that patients who are admonished by their doctors to make
lifestyle changes—even when such changes can dramatically improve their health—tend to be least compliant, even when compared
with the high noncompliance rates for medication-based regimens. For this reason, Haynes suggests that focusing first on medication
compliance is critical. Once the physician and patient have worked together to fine-tune a medication regimen that works,
add-on measures such as lifestyle modifications become easier.
Improving adherence requires strategies that are based on proven techniques that have worked in the clinical arena. These
strategies can then be incorporated into various program elements. These include patient instructions, guidelines for counseling
patients about specific therapeutic regimens, patient support group sessions, and written and e-mail patient reminders. Also
helpful are various types of positive reinforcement and rewards, such as explicitly acknowledging the patient's adherence
efforts, and self-monitoring materials designed to promote autonomous patient compliance reinforced by physician review, with
a built-in reward structure.
Investing in DPE-based communication programs is a good strategy for increasing ROI, especially considering that only one
to two percent of budgets is directed towards patient-physician communications. Ideally, productive doctor-patient encounters
lead to higher medication compliance rates, better patient outcomes, and doctors who are more professionally satisfied. A
three-pronged investment is good not only for patients, but also for business.
People
Sima Shah
|
Sima Shah joined Stratagem Healthcare Communications as an account executive. The company also added Ellyn Kutch as senior traffic manager and Stephen Gershon as copy editor. » Rx Worldwide Meetings promoted Judi Burdette to vice president of business development and Darcie Wooten to director of meetings. Mary Beth Mounce and Mandy Schimming joined the company as meeting coordinators. Emmanuel Leeper also joined as controller. » William Passano became president of the Medical-Dental Division of Ascend Media. » Gregory Q. Tiberend rejoined Richard Lewis Communications as executive vice president and COO.
Accounts
RH Media, a new publisher's representative firm, will be handling four of Elsevier's titles: Annals of Emergency
Medicine, Journal of Allergy and Clinical Immunology, Journal of Emergency Nursing, and Disaster Management Response. » Richard Lewis Communications entered into a partnership with TS Communications Group to enhance client services. » Fission Communications and the Healthcare Marketing Communications Council worked together to re-brand the Annual Management Program at Dartmouth's Tuck School of Business.
Launches
Gregory Q. Tiberend
|
The Navicor Group announced the launch of its new Web site,
http://www.navicorgroup.com/,
which was created by Blue Diesel. » Elsevier Society News Group launched Thoracic Surgery News with a September/October 2005 issue. The bimonthly publication is the official newspaper of the American Association for
Thoracic Surgery.
Charlene Prounis is co-president of Flashpoint Medica. She can be reached at charlene.prounis@flashpointmedica.com
|
PharmExec Blog
Follow Us
RSS
Bookstore
