Telehealth is Tele-Easy: A Telehealth Modality to Improve Medication Adherence in Older Adults
Abstract
Project Abstract & Executive Summary
Telehealth is Tele-Easy: A Telehealth Modality to Improve
Medication Adherence in Older Adults
Background: Medication non-adherence is a major cause of morbidity in the older adult population, with over 40% being non-adherent, especially with self-administration. Non-adherence can lead to a sequelae of preventable problems including medical and psychosocial complications, reduction in quality of life, and even death. Poor adherence also effects economic expenditure by increasing costs and wasted health care resources. The United States pays between 100-300 billion dollars of avoidable costs annually.
Purpose: To assess the efficacy of weekly videoconferencing visits and weekly message reminders with medication adherence measured by the Morisky Medication Adherence 8-Item Scale over 3-months in the older adult population.
Evidence Based Interventions included utilization of a telehealth device to facilitate weekly videoconference calls with older adult participants using a scripted template survey and a weekly message medication reminder over a 12-week period. Medication adherence was measured via the MMAS-8 before and after the intervention. A questionnaire was administered pre and post intervention to assess for a reduction in health-care resources (911 calls, Emergency Department, Urgent Care visits and hospitalizations).
Evaluation Results: Results showed an improvement in medication adherence via an average of the pre and post intervention scores from the Morisky Medication Adherence 8-item Scale from 4 (low) to 5.6 (low). Older adults were noted to have increased adherence to evening (PM) medications, with an average of 86% adherence, compared to morning (AM) medications, with an average of 80% adherence. There was no change measured in the use of emergency health care resources related to chronic disease management. Lastly, pre-and-post intervention analysis depicts that primary care or nursing visits decreased by 75%.
Implications for Clinical Practice: Telehealth devices can be utilized in outpatient settings to facilitate patient-provider communication and improve medication adherence and satisfaction among older adults. This device can be used for Remote Patient Monitoring and Chronic Care Management and qualify for reimbursement using CPT code 99490.
Conclusions: Telehealth devices can improve medication adherence in older adults resulting in improved health outcomes, as well as reduce economic health expenditures and wasted resources.
Executive Summary
The aim of this project is to assess the efficacy of weekly videoconferencing visits and weekly medication adherence message reminders in the older adult population as measured by the Morisky Medication Adherence 8-Item Scale.