Medication nonadherence affects health outcomes and adversely contributes to overall health care costs. There are a variety of reasons patients don’t take their medications they include socio-demographic characteristics (ability to afford medication, out of pocket expenditures), Cultural beliefs, demographics, clinical characteristics, and the patient’s disease perceptions. Many of these patients are unwittingly non-adherent – unknowledgeable about treatment plan, medication; unaware their behavior is noncompliant, other are erratically non-adherent – they do not assign priority to treatment; they remember to take their medication when it is convenient, and still others are rationally non-adherent – they make a conscious decision not to comply due to any number of reasons. Regardless of the reasons they suffer adversely and contribute to rising health care costs. They symbolize the pay me now or pay me later mentality.

To enhance adherence marketers need to understand the ways in which individuals begin to concentrate, process, and retain information. Understanding an individual’s strengths and preferences across the full spectrum of learning elements will determine how individuals will interpret information as it is presented to them. Materials need to appeal to identified learning styles to significantly increase attention, understanding, interest, and retention. Targeting appropriate messages to global (patients that process information in a holistic, simultaneous fashion that is best stimulated by multiple media approaches) and analytic (learners that process information sequentially, in a structure fashion that is best stimulated by well-written, focused print materials learners may significantly influence their behavior).

Additionally, potential strategies to improve adherence include:

• Behavioral Techniques
• Health Education or Self-Management Initiatives
• Self-Monitoring and Feedback Techniques
• Pharmacy-based Interventions
• Simplification of Treatment Regimen
• Easier Appointments
• Continual Communication
• Patient Follow-up

Communications Impact, LLC offers a complete strategic and tactical approach to enhance adherence and increase the quality of health care and lower associated non-adherence costs. Our program is a customized and personalized adherence program directed toward patients. It targets physicians and their patients but also links managed care plans into a continuous feedback loop. Once a patient is identified, he or she is segmented by his or her adherence profile and learning style. The subsequent profile is used to provide a variety of materials designed to increase adherence. Throughout the program, patients are monitored and feedback is provided to the patient provider and plan. Additionally, Communications Impact, LLC, will measure the results and modify the program as needed to enhance patient outcomes.