Assisting real world validation of medication adherence

The healthcare challenge

It is important for patients to take prescribed medications in the way that they are intended to be taken. Patient health may be at risk, and medications can be wasted if they are not taken as advised. There are many reasons why a patient could forget, need prompting, or purposefully avoid taking the correct medication at the right time of day. These circumstances are referred to as accidental and intentional non-adherence.

The solution/ outcomes

Innovative solutions can assist with proper medication adherence and monitoring of adherence. The Nvolve product consists of a medication box and a small electronic weighing scale which connects to a smartphone app. Reminders can be sent to the patient via the app so that they take medication at a specific time, and the scale records that the correct dose of medication has been removed from the medication box at the correct time. That is recorded in the app which the patient, family and caregivers may be able to access. Escalation can occur if medication has been incorrectly taken.

Support from the Health Innovation Network

HIN and Nvolve were keen to understand which cohort of patients the Nvolve solutions would be most useful in assisting and where the greatest benefit could be gained. For instance, those patients that had a very complex drug regime but were committed to adherence vs. those patients which were intentionally not adhering to a medication regime.

Further to an existing pilot underway at Guy’s & St Thomas’s NHS Foundation Trust, the HIN’s Medicine Optimisation lead assisted Nvolve by making introductions which will increase their pilot numbers across South London. The pilot will assist in measuring Nvolve’s effect on adherence and provided insight around suitable patient cohorts.

HIN staff also made a strategic introduction of Nvolve to staff at the Centre for Adherence Research and Education (CARE). Nvolve is now working on a joint initiative with CARE and Kings Health Partners.

Image above: Nvolve Inc. The Nvolve ‘Med Box’ product is seen on the left, and the Nvolve ‘Monitor’ product is on the right.

For more information, visit www.nvolve.com