Health IT Offers New Tools To Boost Patients' Medication Compliance

iHealthBeat
October 12, 2011

Health IT tools give health care providers new ways to monitor medication adherence, the Wall Street Journal reports.

As many as half of U.S. residents do not adhere to prescription drug regimens, according to the Journal.

Studies have shown that patients who adhere to their medication regimens have better health outcomes and require less care.

Patients who do not take their medications as directed cost the U.S. health care system about $290 billion in preventable medical spending annually, according to research by the New England Healthcare Institute. Similarly, a January Health Affairs study found that while improved medication adherence for four chronic diseases contributes to higher spending on drugs, it also generates significant savings because patients are less likely to be hospitalized and seek emergency department care...

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