Electronic Medication Dispenser Clinical Study e-pill Med-O-Wheel ROI >10
Electronic Medication
Dispenser EMD
Using an Electronic Monitoring Drug Dispensing Device to Improve Adherence and Compliance
Journal of Transplantation: Prospective Randomized Trial on the Effect of Using an Electronic Monitoring Drug Dispensing Device to Improve Adherence and Compliance.
Clinical Study Karolinska University Hospital Sweden / EMD / Electronic Medication Dispenser / Automatic Pill Dispenser: Renal Transplantation / Electronic Monitoring Drug Dispensing Device to Improve Adherence and Compliance.
Example of Study Findings: 27 Rejections (according to Banff classification) among 40 patients without EMD vs. 6 Rejections among 40 patients with Electronic Medication Dispenser (Automatic Pill Dispenser) within One Year (study period) created Cost Savings with Electronic Medication Dispenser / EMD / Automatic Pill Dispenser of $220,000.
Calculations:
Cost Savings (see published clinical study): 2,439,909 SEK - 542,202 SEK = 1,897,707 SEK = approximately $220,000
Cost of Electronic Medication Dispenser: 40 x Automatic Pill Dispenser units e-pill Med-O-Wheel x $489.95 = $19,598 = approximately $20,000
Result: $20,000 investment in EMD (Electronic Medication Dispenser / Automatic Pill Dispenser) created $220,000 Cost Savings in direct hospital costs (costs for rejection, including diagnosis and treatment).
Return on Investment (ROI) from EMD use: Greater than 10.
Background:
Outcome after renal transplantation depends on patient compliance and adherence for early detection of complications and identification of intervention opportunities. Compliance describes the degree to which patients follow medical advice and take their medications. Adherence has been defined as the extent to which a patients' behavior coincides with clinical prescriptions.
Materials and Methods:
Patients were randomized 7 to 14 days after transplantation into groups with (n = 40) and without (n = 40) an electronic medication dispenser (EMD / Automatic Pill Dispenser). The EMD, which was used for the 1-year study period, recorded the date and time the patient took their medications and was monitored via a web-based application. Patients were monitored for 1 year regarding outpatient follow-up visits, emergency hospitalizations, renal biopsies, rejection episodes, renal function, and blood concentration of medications.
Results:
Compliance in the intervention group was 97.8% (the control group was not assessed). Number of missed doses varied significantly by weekday (P = 0.033); patients were most likely to miss doses on Saturdays and Thursdays. Patients missed a total of 11 follow-up visits. During the study, 92 biopsies were performed on 55 patients (intervention group: 32 [17]; control group, 60 [38]). Biopsy-verified rejection was three times more common among controls (13 patients vs 4; P = 0.054, not significant). Average P-creatinine level was slightly lower in the intervention group than the control group (131 vs 150 mol/L, not significant), whereas mean tacrolimus was similar (7.32 vs 7.22 ng/mL, not significant).
Conclusions:
The EMD (Electronic Medication Dispenser / Automatic Pill Dispenser) is associated with high compliance, and there are also indications of a lower rejection rate (Transplantation January 2016 - Volume 100 - Issue 1 - p 203–209).
