The problem of medication non-adherence adds an estimated $100 billion to healthcare spending in the US every year, according to a study from The New England Journal of Medicine. Research shows that 43% of adults, 54% of children and teenagers and 55% of seniors do not take their medication as prescribed by their physicians.
The research for this collaboration will be conducted through the University of Miami Miller School of Medicine – Humana Health Services Research Center on the school’s Miami campus.
Key preliminary areas of focus for this research collaboration may include how to predict which patients with multiple chronic conditions have the most difficulty adhering to complex medication schedules, how physician-initiated care management might help with this problem, and how technology might be used in offering patients needed support.
AstraZeneca, Humana and the UM Miller School of Medicine have each been pursuing opportunities to develop research to identify and implement methods to improve the care of patients with multiple chronic conditions. According to the Journal of the American Medical Association, in 2002, chronic disease was responsible for a global mortality of more than 40 million people. By 2020, it is expected that chronic disease will contribute to nearly 70 million deaths, with direct medical costs escalating to more than a trillion dollars.