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Understand medical adherence

Did you know that an estimated
50% of patients with chronic illness do not take medications as prescribed?

Approximately 200,000 patients with treatable ailments die each year in Europe alone as a result of poor medical adherence.

The WHO reports that 10% to 25% of hospital and nursing home admissions are a result of patient non-adherence.

Why is medication adherence important?

Introduction

Forgetting or skipping medication is something a lot of us do. Adherence which is a combination of compliance (% of meds taken as prescribed) and persistence (duration of time meds are taken for) is vital if we as patients want our therapies to actually work. Medication management poses a significant threat to all patients, regardless of whether they are in short, long-term therapy or clinical trials. 

What are the risks?

“Drugs don’t work in patients who don’t take them” which is why one of the biggest problems faced by non-adherent patients is an increased risk of morbidity and mortality. A decrease in treatment effectiveness can lead to long-term adverse effects and financial consequences. A world-wide research study which looked at non-adherence across 14 disease groups around the world, indicated overall higher costs of non-adherence amounting to a staggering 950 – 44200 US$ per patient. 

Improving medical adherence

Patients facing difficulties with the management of their medical adherence are encouraged to take advantage of digital solutions which aim to address the problem holistically. Qlic has been designed by patients for patients. The full scope of its functionality will enable users to set up reminders, receive educational content, track, record and share any adverse side effects as well as reduce the economic constraint of chronic illness. Qlic aims to empower patients by giving them a sense of control over their own treatment. Side effects mitigation and support to the patient- doctor relationship play a crucial role in medical adherence. We aim to continue to develop our solution by adding features which will further support improved patient outcomes across various disease types.

A patient is considered adherent if they take 80% of their prescribed medication. If you take less than 80% of your prescribed medication, you will be considered non adherent. Many people have trouble taking their medication on a regular basis. Wondering if you are likely to be adherent to your medication schedule?

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