Removing Barriers to Medication Adherence
Did you know, about 50% of patients do not take their medications as prescribed?
Research shows that medication nonadherence significantly affects patient outcomes and accounts for a notable portion of treatment failures, deaths, and hospitalizations. A patient is considered adherent if they take their medications according to the prescribed dosage, time, frequency, and direction at least 80 percent of the time.
While adherence is a key factor in the effectiveness of all pharmacological therapies, it is especially important for medications prescribed for chronic conditions. Not adhering to medication instructions when managing a chronic condition can increase the overall cost of care, worsen or progress their disease, prolong hospitalization, and adversely impact a person’s overall length and quality of life.
Patients Can Take Control of Their Health
Medication adherence often falls on the patient. There are a number of reasons why a patient may not follow the medication instructions provided by their physician. Sometimes the reasons are unintentional. For example, they may plan to follow their treatment plan but forget. Or, they may not realize they need to continue taking medications once their bottle is empty.
By programming usage instructions into the device and only allowing the prescribed dosage amount to be accessed according to the provider’s orders, ZICOH® makes it easy for patients to comply with their medication regimen.
Physicians Can Monitor Medication Adherence in Real Time
Although many barriers to medication adherence fall on the patient, some factors can be attributed to the physician. For one, a physician may fail to notice that a patient is not taking their medications as directed. Their patients may not admit to nonadherence, or the physician may ask their patients to list their prescribed medications but not inquire enough to know whether they are adhering to their instructions. By not noticing that a patient isn’t taking their prescription as prescribed, the provider can make unnecessary changes to their treatment plan or prescribe additional medications. The latter can be particularly dangerous if a patient begins taking the original medication as prescribed.
ZICOH® allows providers to monitor their patients’ medication compliance in real-time, so they can make more informed decisions about their care.
Enable Communication Through the Medication Supply Chain
Fragmented health care systems can increase nonadherence by limiting health care coordination among physicians and hospitalists and affecting the patient’s access to care.
Additionally, health information technology that is not widely available can prevent physicians from accessing the information they need. This can affect timely medication refills and the physician’s ability to communicate effectively with their patients.
ZICOH® creates a centralized database, allowing seamless communication between the health care professionals involved in the patient’s care.
Improve Patient Outcomes With ZICOH®
INTRODUCING ZICOH
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