OSF HealthCare is testing a new way to help patients stay on track with their medications using automated text messages to identify missed refills and connect people with pharmacists. The pilot program focuses on patients taking medications for chronic conditions, including high blood pressure and high cholesterol.
Using insurance data, the system identifies people who may be falling behind on prescriptions and sends targeted reminders.
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OSF officials say this approach could reach more patients than traditional phone calls, while making it easier to get personalized help by scheduling meetings with a pharmacist to discuss what’s going on.
Nicole Swenson, director of pharmacy digital care at OSF HealthCare, says patients sometimes stop taking medications when side effects become an issue.
“Probably more likely they stop taking it altogether, especially for conditions like high blood pressure, because the patient may not feel that high blood pressure. So, it may not seem really important to take that medication, especially if they're having a side effect.”
The program also helps pharmacists identify barriers for people who do not take their meds, including transportation challenges, pharmacy access and complicated medication schedules.
So far, the pilot that began in August has prompted 92 people to begin taking their medication as prescribed.
The next phase of this pilot will use predictive analytics and artificial intelligence to help identify patients at risk of falling behind on medications before gaps occur.
