Patients

How empowering patients can help boost compliance.

How empowering patients can help boost compliance.

One of the most common results of poor patient-physician communication is medication non-compliance, according to Enhanced communication with doctors helps consumers save time and money while becoming healthier, a forthcoming report by InfoMedics Chief Medical Officer Dr. Stanley Wulf. The report also provides tips to help patients better prepare for doctor visits, so the brief time spent with medical professionals can be used most effectively.

Though the reports tips are clearly focused on patients, Wulf suggests pharma firms can use them to boost compliance, too. Pharma needs to step back and see this issue more holistically, Wulf says. Each one of these tips deals with issues that are barriers for patients in proper adherence. These tips are designed to empower patients in an area in which they generally feel underpowered.

The amount of time doctors and patients have together has been progressively reduced, says Wulf, and made the amount of information conveyed in that short time period extremely important quality-wise. At the same time, more acutely, we have a situation with the economy where patients are known to skip getting their medication because of issues like a high co-pay or out of pocket expense, or are taking medicine beyond the prescribed period. These are multiplying factors that have made the issue of non-compliance a particularly bad time in our history.

The financial consequences of poor doctor-patient communication are startling. The report highlights a recent study in The Journal of Applied Research in Clinical and Experimental Therapeutics that states roughly 125,000 people with treatable illnesses die each year in the US because they do not take their medication properly. Non-compliance costs the country over $177 billion annually in healthcare costs.

While the financial backlash of non-compliance is critical, what is still given too little attention is the emotional motivations behind non-compliance.  According to Wulf, only 25% patients fail to take medicine because they forget. The other 75% cite issues that are far deeper and more personal than simply forgetting.  To boost compliance, Wulf outlines 10 tips for patients to use in preparation for their healthcare visits:

1. Make a list of questions and concerns ahead of time. Many patients suffer from anxiety when entering a doctors office and writing a list of concerns makes the patient more informed.


2. Dont avoid asking questions because of embarrassment. Doctors have seen it all.


3. Bring a friend or family member for support, as an extra set of ears or to ask additional questions.


4. Dont leave the office without all the facts. Dont rely on the Web for an explanation; talk to a doctor about the best places to find information.


5. Dont be embarrassed to question a diagnosis or treatment, or to get a second opinion.


6. Ask the doctor about the best way to reach him or her if there are additional questions.


7. Dont stop taking a medication because of side effects. Contact a physician immediately and confirm whether the adverse reactions are expected.


8. Keep a journal of treatment experience, providing patient and physician with a detailed look at effectiveness.


9. Talk about concerns over prescription costs or insurance coverage. Doctors can help find the best solution.


10. Follow prescriptions carefully and completely, and follow up with a physician.

Wulf believes that if doctors and pharmaceutical companies disseminate these tips, non-compliance rates will fall. Pharma firms come from a place of great suspicion by the consumer, says Wulf. They need to come from a position of supporting the patient that is devoid of ulterior motives. Some practical steps like these would be of great value. Improvement in the way doctors and patients communicate will float all boats.

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