By Sean Glynn, M.S., is the Director of Health Economics & Outcomes Research for HealthBeacon Limited
1-in-4 Patients struggle to stay on track with medication
Staying on track with medication for chronic conditions has a myriad of challenges. In 2019, The MAGIC Foundation, supported by HealthBeacon, heard from 508 member families on the extent to which they are able to stay on track and what gets in their way.
This white paper includes a summary of the study and findings, if you would like to learn more, please contact laura.hamilton@healthbeacon.com.
There were 508 respondents to the survey. Females represented 42% of all respondents and almost 86% of those who completed the survey were the guardian or caregiver of a pediatric patient. Other demographics can be found below.
One-in-four patients were classified as sub-optimally adherent. Female patients were more likely to be sub-optimally adherent than their male counterparts. There was a significant increase in the number of sub-optimal patients after the first year of treatment from 13% to 21%. Patients who start on a 6 dose per week schedule are significantly more likely to be sub-optimally adherent in the later years of their therapy compared to those on a 7 dose per week schedule.
When asked why patients were missing doses, the most frequent answer was “We were busy and forgot” at 36%. Only 25% of respondents reported using some type of tool or system to stay on track and approximately 50% said they would benefit from reminder support. Interestingly, those who said they did not need this type of support were more likely to be sub-optimally adherent.
“Even the best of families can struggle with adhering to their therapy. Frankly, I was a bit shocked by the self-reported adherence numbers from the MAGIC survey.”
Aristides Maniatis, MD
Rocky Mountain Pediatric Endocrinology
Considering that self-reported medication adherence tends to be over-estimated and that The MAGIC Foundation member families represent a cohort with means and access to benefit from the foundation’s services, Growth Hormone Therapy (GHT) medication adherence for the population at large is likely less favorable than what is reported above. GHT patients would benefit from further support to optimize a short treatment window. Tools and systems that will help them stay on track can play an important role in the treatment journey.
We would like to thank The MAGIC Foundation for their support of this research. We would further like to thank Dr. Mitchell Geffner, Children’s Hospital Los Angeles, and Dr. Aristides Maniatis, Rocky Mountain Pediatric Endocrinology, for their input, guidance and assistance.
Download Whitepaper:
Medication Adherence to Growth Hormone Therapy (GHT) from Members of the MAGIC Foundation
About HealthBeacon
HealthBeacon is a medication adherence technology company which develops smart tools for managing medication. HealthBeacon’s FDA-cleared “smart sharps bin” tracks patient injection history, provides personalized interactive reminders and safely stores used injections. With the intervention of HealthBeacon’s Smart Sharps Technology, patients’ persistence and adherence increased by 25-30% within twelve months of initiating therapy. HealthBeacon’s integrated model connects a patient’s routine and the prescribing clinician’s workflow. This technology has been adopted across 14 countries with >400,000 injections tracked since launch in 2014, with a patient acceptance rate of 80-90%.
For more information, visit: www.healthbeacon.com or engage with HealthBeacon on LinkedIn or Twitter.
About MAGIC Foundation
The MAGIC Foundation was incorporated in the state of Illinois and received 501(C)3 non-profit status October 29, 1989. Since its inception the Foundation has grown to include support services for adults who were also impacted by these disorders.