Concordance Health Solutions (CHS) is an Indiana company with a mission to improve patient medication adherence in partnership with pharmacists and other healthcare providers. With this SBIR grant, CHS will develop and test an innovative product, the ScanCap, an electronic reminder cap that is seamlessly programmed at the pharmacy and incorporated into original packaging for prescription medications. This device will also have the capability of recording when doses are taken and reporting that information back to caregivers and healthcare partners to improve patient medication adherence.
The specific aims of the study are:
Aim 1) Develop the prototype of ScanCap (product + data collection system);
Aim 2) Test 25 ScanCaps in a retail pharmacy dispensing system in a laboratory/mock pharmacy setting;and, Aim 3) Record reactions and comments from two patient and one pharmacist focus groups. At the conclusion of Phase I, CHS will have a working prototype of the ScanCap electronic reminder system, demonstrated the integration into a pharmacy system for automatic programming, developed the capability to record when the cap is opened and transmit the data, and collected qualitative customer feasibility data. In Phase II, CHS will manufacture the device, develop the software interface for reporting data collected, and conduct a rigorous study of the effect on patient medication adherence with the Purdue School of Pharmacy. Prescription medication adherence is shown to improve overall health outcomes in many diseases and can reduce healthcare costs for many patients. Improving medication adherence is a current focus area of several NIH institutes and in line with the NIH mission to extend healthy life and reduce the burdens of illness and disability. However, typical medication adherence rates are less than 50 percent for a host of reasons that are both intentional in nature and unintentional, such as forgetfulness and confusion. Reminder devices on the market now are not available as part of the original prescription package, leaving the patient to sort through and implement over the counter reminder products on their own. An easy-to-use reminder cap that fits standard prescription vials will give pharmacists a tool to help their patients with medication dosing schedules. Integrating the reminder device into the pharmacy system will create patient confidence in its use and will ultimately result in increased adherence, leading to better health outcomes. The proposed project will partner with Rose Hulman Ventures and a retail pharmacy to design and test the ScanCap product. Features of the Scan Cap will include a wireless interface to automatically program the cap to match the medication label instructions;visual and audible reminders when a dose is due;ability to connect with a PDA or smart phone for text message reminder;recording of doses taken and wireless transmission of patient medication record to an electronic database;inexpensive and disposable;small and easily portable;and a design adaptable to standard prescription vials, mail order bottles, and safety cap features.
Poor medication adherence has been described as a significant public health concern. It is widely recognized that non-compliance with medication dosing schedules negatively impacts treatment outcomes, increases hospitalizations and nursing home admissions, and adds over $177 billion annually to the cost of care for patients and payors. Previously commercialized electronic reminder devices have typically been expensive, complicated, and sold apart from the original prescription, which limits pharmacist's role to help patients with the device and complicates healthcare insurance coverage opportunities. This project will design and manufacture the ScanCap, a simple, inexpensive medication reminder device that incorporates easily into retail pharmacy practice and can be dispensed as part of the original prescription packaging to improve patient medication adherence.
