Vaica Medical and mServices Present Successful Medication Adherence Study Results at Santa Helena, Brazil

Results show that monitoring medication adherence in CHF patients reduces extensive costs and improves quality of life.

A study was conducted by St. Helena Health with chronic heart failure (CHF) patients, in which a group was monitored by Vaica’s SimpleMed+. The smart medication management dispenser monitors adherence by logging every dose taken by the patient and outputting reminders. These reminders are programmable and can escalate from visual and audible alerts to text messages and emails.
The results were very impressive. Adherence to medication was sustained at above 94.5%, 98% taken if including late doses as well, during the monitoring period and this was reflected directly in the reduction of ER visits and hospitalizations. Emergency Room (ER) visits were reduced by 68%; hospital admissions were reduced by more than 72%, resulting in 78% reduction in hospitalization days.
According to Dr. Rafael Canineu, geriatrician doctor and coordinator of Clinical Monitoring Center at St. Helena, “the usage of the device by CHF patients along with personal tracking and telephone calls by medical teams, nurses and pharmacists has guaranteed clinical stability and improvement to most patients, translated in a decrease of the passages in emergency room and hospital admissions”

Improved Adherence

Improved Health

Doctors usually classify patients’ heart failure according to the severity of their symptoms. This is the most
commonly used classification system, the New York Heart Association (NYHA) Functional Classification [1]:

1.  No limitation of physical activity. Ordinary physical activity does not cause undue fatigue,
   palpitation, dyspnea (shortness of breath).
2. Slight limitation of physical activity. Comfortable at rest. Ordinary physical activity results in fatgue, palpitation, dyspnea (shortness of breath).
3. Marked limitation of physical activity. Comfortable at rest. Less than ordinary activity causes fatigue, palpitation, or dyspnea.
4. Unable to carry on any physical activity without discomfort. Symptoms of heart failure at rest. If any physical activity is undertaken, discomfort increases.

Minimized Costs

A comparison between ER visits and hospitalizations six months prior to the study and six months during and after the study shows significant costs savings for the healthcare system and for each specific patient. [2,3] 

Method
46 patients of the outpatient program that are diagnosed with HF were studied. A pharmacist was in charge of consulting, comparing the logged medical information and validating it with the doctor. For more than three months, the patients were followed up with weekly nursing phone calls. Once a week the multi dose medication “blister pack” was replaced.

conclusion
The device is critical in the process of medication adherence monitoring and becomes valuable in ensuring the best home care possible. In addition to monitoring, gathering all information and enabling real-time interventions by the medical staff assisted in assuring these fantastic results.
These results also led to the expansion of the program to oncology patients and high-risk pregnancies.

About Vaica
Vaica was established in 2007 to provide medication adherence customized solutions for healthcare organizations in order to address the wide spread phenomena of medication non-compliance. At the core of our solutions is a cloud-based software, enabling the remote deployment, management & monitoring of smart medication dispensers and vital sign monitors. Vaica’s mission is to improve the life quality of chronically-ill patients and allow them to live longer at home independently.

About mServices
mServices specializes in providing Medication Adherence management and vital signs monitoring services. By using a personal centric healthcare concept, combined with mobile communications capability, mServices create a combination that empowers consumers to better manage their wellness and health. mServices mission is to provide better life quality, independence and peace of mind to patients and their relatives.

About Santa Helena
St. Helena, founded in 1980, currently serves about 3,500 companies and 300,000 beneficiaries, and has become a leading reference in the ABCDMR region for the quality of services provided. This achievement was obtained through the implementation of the most modern technological resources and the high level of professional training of their clinical and administrative body, which values the ethics and respect to saving lives.