Philips selected by Partners HealthCare and Triad HealthCare Network to help reduce costs of at-risk patients   

“Medication non-adherence costs the U.S. health system over $310 billion every year,[2] and results in hundreds of thousands of preventable deaths annually.[3]Philips data aggregation platforms provide continuous and seamless availability of data and their interpretation to help improve patient outcomes and financial results,” said Derek Ross, Business Leader of Population Health Management, Philips. “Participating in these programs with Partners Connected Health and Triad HealthCare Network helps our customers improve medication adherence of their highest-acuity patients, and to deliver better value-based care.”

“Patients on complex medication regimens are at a high-risk for being unable to take their medication as prescribed,” said Dr. Kamal Jethwani, Senior Director at Partners Connected Health. “We have used technology successfully in the past to help such patients manage their medications. This would be our first trial in patients with mental illness, and if successful, would open an exciting opportunity to manage these patients in more effective ways.”

“Barriers to optimal health outcomes for our most vulnerable patients remain extensive and persistent,” said Emily Johnson, LCHC’s Director of Community Outreach. “With this program and our partnership with Partners HealthCare and Philips, our goals are to improve medication adherence rates through connected technology, build a foundation of intensive and ongoing care coordination, and cut costs of unplanned hospital visits.” 

“Medication non-adherence is a multibillion dollar problem,” said James Osborne, MD, FACP, Senior Medical Director for Population Health, Cone Health, Triad HealthCare Network. “Through this program, we hope to discover an effective method to give our complex patients with a history of non-adherence the ability to stay on track easily. In turn, we aim to reduce unnecessary emergency transports and hospitalizations, and more effectively manage the cost of care.” 

Programs designed to help improve medication adherence

LCHC’s program, funded by the Mass Health Policy Commission, will specifically target patients enrolled in MassHealth Primary Care Clinician (PCC) plans who are over 20 years old with a primary diagnosis of schizophrenia, bipolar disorder or major depression. Inadequate medication adherence among this population is one of the main causes for LCHC’s inpatient admissions and emergency department visits. Patients with complex mental illness are often on intricate treatment regimens with five or more prescriptions, and the behavioral challenges associated with their illnesses contribute to the likelihood of uncoordinated care and medication non-adherence. 

Through a multi-faceted approach of intensive care coordination, clinical pharmacy consultation and Philips connected in-home medication dispenser, LCHC’s study aims to demonstrate a reduction in overall healthcare utilization by 15 percent, home health utilization by 40 percent, and both acute inpatient and outpatient utilization by 10 percent by the end of November 2018. By focusing on the highest risk patients, LCHC projects a savings of $1.4 million by the completion of the program. 

Separately, Triad HealthCare Network’s program aims to enroll patients covered under three leading Medicare Advantage Part D health plans, with the goal of improving medication adherence rates, and consequently, overall patient health. Patients within this particular population tend to be the highest utilizers of their health systems and often live with chronic conditions that require complex prescription regimens. 

The success of Triad HealthCare Network’s pilot program will be determined by performance indicators such as reduced costs of care and increased rates of medication adherence. Insights generated from PMAS, along with refill histories and pharmacy claims data, will assist healthcare providers and insurers to design a streamlined approach in caring for large, at-risk populations enrolled in the Medicare Advantage Part D health plans.