Expanding Patient Engagement in Commercial Healthcare

Today’s guest post comes from Pritesh Patel, Commercial Segment Director of Clinical Effectiveness at Wolters Kluwer, Health.

Pritesh presents a case study of how technology improved patient engagement, which translated into better patient health outcomes. To learn more, download their complete ebook: Patient Engagement in Commercial Health.

Read on for Pritesh’s insights.

EXPANDING PATIENT ENGAGEMENT IN COMMERCIAL HEALTHCARE
By Pritesh Patel, Commercial Segment Director, Clinical Effectiveness at Wolters Kluwer, Health

Patient engagement is often viewed as a hospital-based initiative to be left in the hands of primary caregivers. But shared decision making and consultative outreach to pharmacy consumers and health plan members can create long-lasting, positive ripple effects throughout a business.

In the following case study, we describe how an engagement strategy can be implemented in a commercial healthcare setting to help improve treatment outcomes and inspire patients to take a more active role in their own health … and how that, in turn, can help your business achieve its operational and financial goals.

THE PROBLEM

Helena is VP of Operations at a national retail pharmacy chain. During a meeting of the executive leadership team, discussion turns to improving Rx fill rates and patient satisfaction throughout the chain’s stores. Research shows that, at the national level, an average of 27% of prescriptions are never filled, but Helena’s team has calculated that their chain’s no-fill rate is closer to 30%. Her bosses task her with bringing their rate down to equal or better than the national average.

THE SOLUTION

Helena’s customer research has revealed she needs to address four factors to improve medication adherence:

• Patients’ personal barriers and lack of understanding about their care
• Financial barriers
• Clinical issues (such as concern about side effects)
• Old-fashioned forgetfulness

Reminder calls currently in place aren’t doing the job. So, Helena implements a more extensive patient engagement strategy with the Emmi® Medication Adherence program. The program features interactive voice response calls that go beyond one-touch reminders to encourage proactive health choices. It also includes multimedia programs that use principles of behavioral science to help consumers better understand the “why” and “how” of their medication therapy.

THE RESULTS

Helena chose the Emmi Medication Adherence program after learning how Emmi can support patients who face barriers to medication adherence. In one study in which Emmi interactive call campaigns were used, 52% of patients engaged with the program, and among those:

• 40% asked follow-up questions about their medications
• 18% wanted follow-up on barriers they faced
• 27% reported filling all their medications

Further, patient survey results for Emmi interactive multimedia programs have found that, among Emmi program viewers, 73% state that they are more motivated to take their medications after interacting with the programs. As she deploys the Emmi programs throughout her stores, Helena sees similar results. She is able to report improved Rx fill rate numbers back to the leadership team.

Shared decision-making programs and outreach can help healthcare businesses enhance patient outcomes while also improving efficiency, consumer loyalty, and bottom line.

Emmi® patient engagement programs from Wolters Kluwer are designed to create dynamic, interactive, and connected experiences that extend the conversation between the patient and your pharmacist, nurse, or case manager. Emmi programs increase patient knowledge of their condition, procedure, or medication, helping to create realistic expectations and reducing uncertainty so they can make informed decisions about their own health. According to surveys of between 3,600 and 41,000 Emmi program viewers, after taking part in patient engagement programs, patients:

• 97% understand there is more than one way to treat their condition
• 99% believe they will make a better decision about their treatment
• 80% are motivated to change their lifestyle

More informed decision making can lead to better medication adherence, more effective care choices, and fewer unnecessary hospitalizations.

See how Emmi could work for you:

To take a look at more Emmi patient engagement scenarios involving professionals tackling issues of diabetes management and opioid appropriate use, download the complete ebook.

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