Biotechnology Healthcare - September/October 2008 - (Page 36)

(www.informedix.com), have each developed a patient-centered technology that each claims increases compliance with medications and other medical treatments via informational and monitoring programs. Their products offer educational opportunities and daily medication reminders to patients, whether at home or on the go, and are geared toward the patient as the consumer. The offerings of VisionTree Healthcare Solutions (www.vision tree.com) and Phytel (www.phytel. com) target patient compliance issues through increased coordination between healthcare provider and patient. Their products are designed to identify patients who are noncompliant with medical visits by equipping healthcare providers with documentation and tracking capabilities. Patients benefit through e-mail or voice mail reminders concerning follow-up care, preventive services, and pharmacy needs. INFORMATION OVERLOAD Chicago-based Emmi Solutions has created a Web-based communication platform, Emmi-Prep, to improve a patient’s experience with the healthcare system and to increase adherence to therapeutic goals through education, cooperation, and reinforcement. Emmi-Prep offers a series of animated, personalized tutorials that walk patients through their pending treatment or hospital course. When a patient receives a new diagnosis, that patient may enter an emotional state in which the ability to retain new information may be less than optimal. A diagnosis often can represent a dramatic life change, requiring new treatments or medications along with lifestyle changes. Poor understanding may lead to a lower-than-expected compliance rate, poor medical outcome, and increased use of medical resources. Emmi-Prep can help patients with “information overload.” A common scenario might involve someone who is preparing to undergo a surgical procedure. Routinely, prior to surgery, the physician team informs the patient about Screen shot of a sample Emmi-Prep tutorial the procedure, its risks and benefits, and the pre- and postoperative courses, all while obare retrievable and unaltered, and taining paperwork for medical conoffer a reliable method to document sent. Patients often are overwhelmed, patient comprehension and consent. possibly intimidated, and frequently Programs also exist for patients do not remember all of the informa- with chronic medical conditions such tion they were given. Emmi-Prep as asthma, hypertension, diabetes, graphically shows patients why they chronic obstructive pulmonary disneed the procedure and explains the ease, and depression. General inforpossible risks and benefits. The promation regarding these disorders is gram is interactive, allowing patients reviewed, and questions concerning to ask and answer questions and to the course of treatment and selfsend secure e-mail messages directly management are presented in an easyto their healthcare provider. This can to-follow manner. Follow-up mesbe done in a relaxed environment sages are sent to patients with simple prior to a physician visit, thus en- reminders such as, “Go to the doctor abling the patient to be better pre- to check hemoglobin A1c,” or “You pared to discuss more detailed haven’t gone to the podiatrist. Please click here to make a doctor’s apspecifics about their upcoming pointment.” One study found that surgery and hospital course, and afthrough Emmi Solutions’ Web-based fording the physician more time for programs, the adherence rate for treatment-related activities. patients who were scheduled for Emmi-Prep is designed to improve colonoscopy improved by 20 percent business outcomes by increasing pa(Thomas 2007). tient satisfaction, mitigating risk, exIntelecare Compliance Solutions, tending the reach of caregivers, and based in New Haven, Conn., also ofimproving patient compliance with the overall treatment plan. This ready- fers a medication reminder system. Their program aims to connect to pato-use program requires little traintients via telecommunication tools ing. Procedures and medical condithat are familiar and adaptable to the tions are explained by way of visual patient and sends reminders via edemonstration, audio instruction, and mail, text messaging, and voice mail. graphical text, with each component The only tools needed are a cell phone reinforcing the other to maximize the patient’s retention of the material. or a computer. There is no orientation, and consumers may sign up via ePatient-provided information is mail, the Internet, telephone, or recorded and stored in a secure, HIPAA-compliant database. The data through their employer (Zimmerman 36 BIOTECHNOLOGY HEALTHCARE · SEPTEMBER/OCTOBER 2008 http://www.informedix.com http://www.visiontree.com http://www.phytel.com http://www.visiontree.com http://www.phytel.com

Table of Contents Feed for the Digital Edition of Biotechnology Healthcare - September/October 2008

Biotechnology Healthcare - September/October 2008 Openers Editorial/David B. Nash, MD, MBA Contents At a Glance: Multiple Sclerosis Drug Track Personalized Medicine Healthcare Reform’s Effects on Biologic Access Breast Cancer Status Testing: A Crapshoot With Deadly Odds Trends, Issues, and Perspectives In the Management of MS So High-Tech, Yet So Simple The Evolution of Ascertaining the Value Proposition Specialty Pharmacy Employer to Employer Health Plan Confidential Trends

Biotechnology Healthcare - September/October 2008

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