The reasons behind why patients do not take medication as prescribed have been the subject of much study and speculation in the medical and pharmaceutical communities. But one health IT startup is claiming an early victory just two months after launching its dosage reminder app for mobile devices.
MediSafe Project, an Israeli health IT startup, says data it has collected since the November launch of the cloud-synced app for Androids and iPhones shows a patient adherence rate of 81 percent, according to an emailed company statement. That exceeds the 50 percent average medication adherence rates for patients taking medication for chronic illnesses in developing countries listed by the World Health Organization. The company claims an even higher rate — 84 percent –for users taking statins to lower cholesterol.
MediSafe is among the first class of graduates for the Microsoft Accelerator for Windows Azure, its cloud platform. The four-month program helps early stage startups using a cloud-based platform, Internet and mobile devices.
The cloud-based app helps users keep track of when and how much medication they should be taking. When users add medications, they are prompted with questions on amounts, frequency and time of day, and whether or not they should be taken with food. After taking their medications, users drag pill icons into an animated image of a mouth swallowing meds. If users forget to take their medications or don’t register that they have taken them with the app, family members are notified via text message.
U.S. pharmaceutical companies have been increasing their budget allocations for patient adherence. Since 2009, budget allocations have increased 281 percent to $1.5 million in 2012.
