The following is a guest article by Christine Lee, Head of Health Partnerships at AnalyticsIQ
Patients seeking healthcare for their ailments often receive detailed treatment plans tailored to their individual needs. However, the efficacy of these treatment plans relies heavily on patient adherence. Unfortunately, research indicates that only about half of the patients adhere to their prescribed treatments consistently and correctly. This surprising statistic reveals a significant problem in our healthcare system, especially for those with chronic conditions requiring ongoing treatments.
But how can we collectively combat treatment and medication nonadherence to drive better outcomes?
Healthcare providers need a deeper understanding of the patient as a person, by enhancing real-world data (RWD) with people-based intelligence and other social determinants of health (SDOH) factors. Everyone must understand the issue and drivers behind the scenes such as potential barriers to care that contribute to nonadherence.
With reliable, comprehensive data that provides insight into the patient as a person and the SDOH factors present in their lives, healthcare providers can begin to understand barriers to care and adherence to devise effective strategies to improve patient adherence and, ultimately, their health outcomes.
Understanding Barriers to Treatment Adherence
A crucial first step in enhancing patient adherence is identifying the barriers patients face in adhering to their treatment plans. These barriers can vary widely based on a multitude of factors, including patient demographics, social determinants of health (SDOH), and the nature of the medical conditions themselves.
Education-Related Barriers
A significant issue contributing to nonadherence is the lack of patient understanding – or a lack of health literacy – about their condition and the benefits of adhering to their treatment. This problem can often be traced back to the complexity of healthcare terminology and the difficulty patients may face in comprehending the importance and necessity of their prescribed regimen. Providers play a critical role in breaking down these barriers by using simple language, avoiding complex terminology, and providing accessible educational materials to improve health literacy and ultimately patient adherence.
Financial Barriers
Financial difficulties can significantly affect a patient’s ability to adhere to their treatment plan. High co-pays, deductibles, prescription price sensitivity, or the outright cost of medications and medical devices can pose significant challenges. Providers can help patients navigate these obstacles by transparently communicating costs and suggesting programs or payment plans that can aid in managing these expenses or patient price sensitivity.
Accessibility Barriers
Physical distance to healthcare services, lack of transportation, and language barriers can greatly inhibit a patient’s ability to adhere to their treatment plan. Addressing these barriers involves devising strategies that minimize or solve the physical distance between patients and services, ensuring language accessibility, and optimizing the delivery of healthcare to be more patient-friendly.
Additional Barriers
Additional barriers to adherence exist, such as social or cultural influences and even treatment side effects.
Religious and political beliefs, language barriers, and communication difficulties can all impact adherence, and some medical conditions historically have had stigmas attached to them. This may lead to some individuals avoiding treatment or disclosing conditions.
And when an individual experiences physical discomfort due to medication side effects, they may assume that the treatment is ineffective or that it is simply “not worth it”. This can lead them to modify or discontinue treatment altogether.
Overcoming Barriers and Improving Outcomes
Once these barriers have been identified with the right data, healthcare providers can work towards formulating strategies to improve treatment adherence.
Patient Education
By using clear, simple language, healthcare providers can ensure that patients understand their diagnosis and treatment plan. Encouraging patients to ask questions and providing reassurance can build patient confidence in the treatment plan and their ability to follow it.
Healthcare providers and pharmaceutical companies can also develop personalized educational materials to demonstrate the benefits of adherence. These materials can be tailored to the patient’s diagnosis and treatment plan, making them highly relevant and effective.
Simplify Treatments
Simplifying treatment regimens can enhance patient adherence. Strategies like automatic refills, longer-term prescriptions, and collaborative approaches with other healthcare professionals can help lessen the burden on the patient. If adherence lags, providers should show a willingness to adjust treatments to more manageable, less time-consuming, or more affordable options.
Monitor Patient Adherence
Electronic reminder systems and feedback loops between appointments can help healthcare providers keep track of patient adherence. These strategies provide valuable data, allowing providers to understand whether a treatment is ineffective or whether the patient is simply not adhering to the plan.
Addressing Financial and Accessibility Barriers
Healthcare providers can alleviate financial barriers by communicating costs upfront and streamlining the prior authorization process. Assistance programs that offer financial aid, medication discounts, or even free medication can make treatment more attainable for patients.
Addressing accessibility issues requires the development of patient-centered strategies. This could involve offering telehealth services to minimize physical distance, providing materials in a patient’s native language, and implementing flexible scheduling options.
Encourage Active Patient Participation
Involving patients in the decision-making process gives them a sense of ownership and alignment with the treatment plan. Furthermore, adopting a culturally competent approach, taking into account the patient’s belief system, lifestyle, and lived experience can enhance a provider’s ability to improve patient adherence.
Moreover, supporting the mental and emotional well-being of patients, as well as encouraging community engagement and peer support, can provide a holistic approach to overcoming adherence challenges.
Take the Next Step
Nonadherence to treatment plans poses a significant challenge to healthcare outcomes. By identifying and understanding the barriers that patients face in adhering to their treatment plans by examining a combination of real-world, SDOH, and people-based data, healthcare providers can strategize to overcome these obstacles and enhance patient adherence.
Through personalized patient education, treatment simplification, regular monitoring, and addressing financial and accessibility barriers, healthcare providers can significantly improve treatment outcomes. A data-driven, patient-centric approach that takes into account the individual’s circumstances, beliefs, and lifestyle is crucial in this endeavor. Such comprehensive strategies will not only improve patient adherence but also contribute to the overall efficacy and sustainability of our healthcare system.
About Christine Lee
Christine Lee is Head of Health Partnerships for predictive data innovator, AnalyticsIQ. Christine has over a decade of experience in the data and analytics space and has worked with industry leaders across verticals like healthcare, pharma, non-profits, and more. Christine lives in Central Florida with her family, dogs, and cats – a house full of love!
