Improving Medication Adherence with Me+U
Background
Medication adherence is critical for ensuring positive health outcomes, particularly for members managing chronic conditions. For health plans, improving adherence not only enhances member health but also reduces overall healthcare costs. Recognizing this challenge, Me+U partnered with a client health plan to implement a targeted medication adherence campaign aimed at members whose wellness relies on consistent medication intake.
Objectives
- Increase medication adherence among members.
- Reduce hospitalization rates due to non-adherence.
- Engage members through personalized support and education.
Campaign Overview
The campaign focused on members prescribed routine medications using Me+U’s HITRUST certified platform to communicate in a HIPAA secure environment. Key components included:
- HIPAA Secure Bi-Directional Messaging: Members received reminders about overdue medications using real-time client pharmacy data through HIPAA-secure messaging. The message included the member’s pharmacist and a link to the pharmacy location. The platform allowed for two-way communication, enabling members to confirm whether they refilled and received their medications.
- Follow-Up Interventions: If members reported non-adherence, the system triggered personalized follow-up. These included educational content about the importance of medication adherence, opportunities to schedule a conversation with a healthcare professional, or ask questions about medication access.
- Caregiver Engagement: The platform allowed members to include permissioned caregivers in the communications, fostering a supportive network that helps drive accountability and encourage compliance.
- Auto-Scheduling: To ensure consistent monitoring, the campaign included auto-scheduled reminders tailored to each member’s medication regimen.
Implementation
The campaign launched over a 90-day period with the following steps:
- Member Outreach: Initial communications were sent to members targeted by the campaign explaining the benefits of medication adherence.
- Reminder Messaging: Members received reminders at predetermined intervals tailored to their specific medications.
- Data Capture: The system tracked response rates and adherence patterns, offering valuable insights into member behavior.
- Care Specialist Intervention: For members struggling with adherence, care specialists initiated personalized outreach to provide added support using Me+U’s chat capabilities.
Results
The implementation of the Me+U campaign yielded significant improvements in medication adherence:
- Increased Prescription Fill Rates: The at-risk members taking part in the campaign experienced a 2X increase in prescription fill rates compared to those who did not receive Me+U messaging.
- Engagement Metrics: The campaign achieved a 32% follow-through rate on medication reminders within 3 days, showing an elevated level of engagement among participants.
- Improved Health Outcomes: As a result of increased adherence, the payer saw a decrease in emergency room visits and hospitalizations related to medication non-adherence, resulting in significant medical expense savings.
Conclusion
The Me+U medication adherence campaign effectively improved medication compliance among health plan members through a combination of personalized messaging, caregiver involvement, and data-driven interventions. By using Me+U’s HIPAA compliant, HITRUST certified technology to enable compelling, multi-media messages and facilitate bi-directional communication, health plans and payers can enhance member health outcomes while reducing overall healthcare costs. This case study shows the potential of innovative solutions like Me+U in addressing the critical issue of medication adherence.