Keeping in touch

Karen Smith explains the importance of physician-patient relationships in ensuring adherence.

“AstraZeneca provides a number of resources to help physicians have more open, frequent discussions with their patients about how their medicines are working”
-Karen Smith

As VP of External Medical Relations, Karen Smith fully endorses the building of relationships between physician and patient adherence. “The physician-patient encounter during the time in which a disease is diagnosed is considered a ‘teachable moment’,” she explains. “It is vital to adherence because patients learn about the impact of a disease, how it can be treated and how to avoid the risks and consequences of ineffective management.”

According to a study conducted by the Stanford University School of Medicine, 185 patient-physician interactions were analysed to understand more of how the information was relayed. The results conduced was that simple conversations were insufficient to promote long-term adherence to treatment, and instead new programs were needed to be designed to convey the message to patients.

“Providing research data regarding what works to improve adherence is an effective way to support physicians in the important role they play in demonstrating the value of adherence to their patients,” explains Smith.

Following a 12-month survey conducted by AstraZeneca of more than 200 office-based physicians, two out of three physicians noted that they believe they have considerable infuence over whether of not their patients follow their instructions. The final third believed a patient’s caregiver, health insurance company, nurse or pharmacist had more influence than the physician. An additional study funded by AstraZeneca evaluated prescription data and found that longer days of supply and lower out-of-pocket cost of medicines also positively impacted patient adherence.

“Effective messages should explain that it is important for people to take their medicines as prescribed if they want to experience the full benefit of the medicine and avoid future health issues. It is also critical to provide physicians with resources to help foster more open, frequent discussions with their patients about how their medicines are working and whether they have affordability concerns,” she says.

Smith notes that in addition to online and offline marketing channels, case management approaches also involve multiple care providers, such as physicians, nurses, pharmacists and so on, who have been recognised as also being effective in ensuring patients take their medicines as prescribed.

“Innovative approaches using other patients who successfully manage their conditions as ‘peer-coaches’ to other patients have also been investigated. Health technology companies can help patients take their medicines as prescribed by providing one-on-one, electronic patient support programs that reinforce the information patients receive from their physicians. For example, AstraZeneca partners with one company that uses text messaging to remind asthma patients to take their medication or schedule a follow-up doctor’s appointment.

“E-prescribing systems can make it more convenient for patients to fill their prescriptions by allowing prescription transmissions and approvals to take place electronically, minimizing patient wait time and inconvenience. This same technology can enable doctors to send an automatic reminder to a patient who has not filled his or her prescription in a specific time period,” says Smith.

She describes the adherence efforts being made by AstraZeneca, in addition to those already mentioned, as being patient focused. For the past 30 years, AstraZeneca has offered prescription savings programs for patients who may have difficulty affording their medicines, and the company also aims to ensure that physicians’ offices can share information on these programs with their patients.

“AstraZeneca provides a number of resources to help physicians have more open, frequent discussions with their patients about how their medicines are working and whether they have affordability concerns. In addition to the efforts noted above, we provide physicians and patients with a checklist to help people track their medicines,” concludes Smith.

Karen Smith is Vice President of External Medical Relations (EMR) for the US business of AstraZeneca PLC.