Curant Health is launching a study with the Meyerhoff Inflammatory Bowel Disease Center of the Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine to test how well counseling from pharmacists can improve the treatment of inflammatory bowel disease. The study will compare medication therapy management to standard care in a large university hospital setting.
Project “A.L.I.V.E” (Adherence and Long-term IBD Value-added Effectiveness) was announced this morning during Medcity ENGAGE, a gathering of healthcare professionals in Bethesda, Md.
Sharon Dudley-Brown, PhD, is the principal investigator for the project and an assistant professor of medicine at Johns Hopkins University. According to the study abstract, the absence of an integrated MTM platform in IBD care makes it difficult to track patient outcomes including adverse drug events, hospital readmissions and long-term adherence rates. A review of the literature shows there is no reported long-term adherence data for Crohn’s disease or ulcerative colitis. Also, no data has been published evaluating the impact of medication therapy management on IBD outcomes.
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Crohn’s disease and ulcerative colitis are chronic, debilitating conditions. People living with Crohn’s disease and ulcerative colitis have average healthcare costs of $18,963 and $15,020, respectively, significantly higher than the $5,000 estimated for the patients in the matched comparison group of similar patients living outside the US. A 2008 study of the direct healthcare costs of treating Crohn’s and ulcerative colitis found that costs for patients under 20 were higher than those for older adults, “suggesting that focusing on effective management of IBD in pediatric patients could yield significant cost-efficient
benefits.”
The project fits with Curant Health’s mission to support patients living with chronic illness. The company was founded in 2000 to treat the “whole patient,” not just a patient’s chronic disease. The company’s founders all have family members diagnosed with a chronic ailment, and each founder independently decided that pharmacists are best suited to fill the growing gap in chronic patient care.
“Our enhanced medication therapy management services are proven to reduce readmissions rates and improve adherence to medication regimens for chronically ill patients,” said Patrick Dunham, President and CEO of Curant Health. “Continuing to validate our work alongside Dr. Dudley-Brown and her colleagues, and most importantly improving the lives of people suffering from chronic conditions like IBD, is central to our mission.”
During each session with the patient, pharmacists will make sure the person is taking the prescribed medications, identify any side effects, and provide patient education. The team will evaluate results at 30 days, 60 days, six months, nine months and 12 months after the project starts.
