InteliSpark client, Insightfil, was awarded a Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) grant from the National Institutes of Health (NIH) for phase I of their project in developing a comprehensive medication management plan to promote medication adherence for improved patient health.
Research shows that about 50% of patients in the U.S. do not take their prescription medications as prescribed. Many patients have complicated medication regimens involving more than three types of drugs, which puts these individuals at a higher risk of not taking medications correctly. Non-adherence to prescription drug regimens leads to more hospital visits, increased healthcare costs, and poorer health outcomes.
This project, led by Dr. Edward Acworth, CEO and founder of the startup Insightfil, will address medication non-adherence by developing a solution that positively impacts all stakeholders including patients, doctors, pharmacies, and insurers. This medication management solution includes convenience packaging combined with a smartphone app that both verifies if a patient opens a medication pack and delivers essential and medicine-related information in real-time. In other words, not only will a patient realize he or she missed a dose, so will the patient’s doctor.
Researchers believe this will contribute to a more accurate information exchange between all stakeholders, leading to decreased healthcare costs and improved health outcomes for patients. Once Insightfil develops a successful prototype in phase I, they plan to advance to phase II and conduct a pilot study in 1-2 pharmacies serving 5,000 patients.