Empowering Clinical Leaders: Enhancing Patient Adherence in Trials
In an exploration of the critical facet of patient adherence in clinical trials, Aad R. Liefveld from Link2Trials, a partner of the BEAMER project, sheds light on the profound impact adherence has on global health, pharmaceutical decision-making, and the successful outcomes of clinical trials.
In this two-part series of articles, Aad speaks about available innovative solutions to improve adherence behaviour today and not tomorrow. In part one, we will identify the severity of the issue, as it concerns both public health and pharmaceutical company finances, and describe the conditions that contribute to nonadherence to treatment. In part two, we will explore the benefits of adherence to treatment for patients, payers, and regulators, as well as offer ways to improve adherence behaviour now.
In the first article, the substantial societal and economic costs linked to non-adherence in clinical trials emphasize the importance of addressing this issue. Click here to read.
The second article provides insights on improving adherence, presenting an opportunity for stakeholders to enhance products in the market while reducing costs. Click here to read.
Billions Of Reasons To Improve Adherence
“Treatment adherence is the process in which the patient engages in a health, technology, or medication-enabled treatment, which was discussed and agreed upon together with a healthcare professional. Adherence includes meeting the following conditions that are relevant to the treatment”. See here for more information.
This article highlights the connection between non-adherence and significant societal and economic costs, particularly in certain types of clinical trials which is crucial for stakeholders to understand the urgency of improving adherence.
Promoting Better Adherence for a Healthier Tomorrow
In another article, Liefveld underscores the significance of adherence in optimizing the success of any treatment. In his latest contribution, he emphasizes the role adherence plays in reducing overall healthcare costs and societal expenses related to sick days. Governments worldwide, focusing on healthcare cost reduction, base their decisions on data from clinical trials. However, real-world efficacy often falls short, contributing to unexpected healthcare expenses.
Consequences of Low Adherence
The article outlines the adverse effects of low adherence, including reduced treatment efficacy, increased side effects, elevated risk of complications, and a higher likelihood of hospitalization and mortality. Liefveld advocates for prioritizing drugs or medical devices with high adherence levels, even if they come at a higher cost, stressing the importance of considering both efficacy and affordability in treatment decisions.
Innovative Solutions for Higher Adherence Rates
The article delves into innovative solutions to enhance adherence, such as digital pill bottles that track medication intake and personalized adherence support programs. These programs, driven by adherence data analytics and patient-centered design, aim to identify and support patients at risk of low adherence.
Crucial Role in Reimbursement Decisions
Liefveld highlights the importance of adherence to regulators and payers in reimbursement decisions. While adherence levels in clinical trials are deemed rigorous, real-world adherence data, obtained through various methods like pharmacy claims and patient surveys, provide a more realistic picture. Regulators and payers increasingly use a combination of clinical trials and real-world adherence data in decision-making, reflecting a growing acknowledgment of adherence’s role in achieving optimal patient outcomes.
Improving Adherence in Clinical Trials: A Necessity
Recognizing the significant costs of nonadherence in clinical trials, the article outlines actionable steps to improve adherence. These include patient education, simplifying trial protocols, personalized support programs, leveraging digital technology, and closely monitoring adherence with timely feedback.
Supporting a Healthier Future
Liefveld concludes by urging readers to support initiatives like the BEAMER project and actively incorporate adherence-supporting solutions in their organizations, emphasizing that improving adherence is not just a professional goal but a personal responsibility for the betterment of society.
About the project:
BEAMER stands for BEhavioral and Adherence Model for improving quality, health outcomes and cost-Effectiveness of healthcaRe. Its aim is to provide a better understanding of the psychological factors that affect patient adherence behavior to enable the healthcare industry to design and deliver more targeted and relevant support. BEAMER will generate an open-source model, grounded in behavioral science, with the significant factors affecting adherence. The model will identify subpopulations based on patient needs, which will provide a foundation for future real-world solutions to improve adherence behavior, enabling support solutions for the right patients at the right time. To achieve this, 27 key stakeholders are collaborating across the healthcare chain, including universities, healthcare providers and hospitals, patient organizations, research and technology companies, healthcare-related nonprofit organizations, and global pharmaceutical companies, to provide a validated model ready for adoption by its primary stakeholders and beneficiaries in three years’ time.
ECHAlliance’s role in BEAMER:
ACKNOWLEDGEMENT & DISCLAIMER: The BEAMER project has received funding from the Innovative Medicines Initiative 2 Joint Undertaking under grant agreement No 101034369. This joint undertaking receives support from the European Union’s Horizon 2020 Research and Innovation Programme, the European Federation of Pharmaceutical Industries and Associations (EFPIA) and Link2Trials. This communication reflects the views of the authors and neither the IMI nor the European Union, EFPIA, or Link2Trials are liable for any use that may be made of the information contained herein.
