Connected technology solutions dramatically improve medication adherence, according to new study from Royal Philips.
The study results demonstrated how the use of Medido, a connected medication dispensing technology, can greatly benefit patients with chronic conditions by helping them better comply with long-term therapy.
Over the span of one year, user data from more than 1,300 patients in the Netherlands was analysed, showing 96% of patients using Philips’ Medido were adherent to their medication schedule.
Data from the study also showed that patients using Medido stayed adherent to long-term therapy over time, showing little or no change in adherence over the course of the year.
Philips Medido is a home medication dispensing service designed to support chronically ill patients and care providers. When the patient’s scheduled medication time arrives, the dispenser automatically reminds them, ensures that the correct medication is being released at the correct time and then releases and opens individual pouches according to the patient’s prescribed regimen.
The solution monitors removing medication from the dispenser and remotely alerts nursing staff when medication is not taken from the device, helping to streamline the normally time-consuming task of medication management and allowing them to focus on additional care issues, according to Philips.
The study looked into 881,000 medication moments of 1,379 patients in the Netherlands who on average took three doses per day. Findings from the study include:
- 96% of patients using Medido had a medication adherence rate over the World Health Organisation’s (WHO) standard of 80%.
- Patients who required two or more medication doses per day maintained an adherence rate at around 94% with Medido.
- Medication adherence remained consistent over time, with no significant differences during the yearlong study.
Nick Merritt, GP and partner at Southview Surgery, Bromley said: “Adherence to medication is a huge concern to GPs in the UK: patients can stop medicines for reasons such as side effects, forgetfulness and pure non-compliance.
“This can lead to poor control of chronic disease which leads to escalating demand for GP services. There is also a financial cost to wasted medication prescribed and not taken or stockpiled by patients, estimated at up to 300 million pounds annually.
“We accept some of these are unpreventable but any technology which monitors patients’ adherence in “real time” and allows monitoring of medication use can only be of benefit to treating chronic disease and prevent significant wastage within the NHS.”
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