TORONTO, Feb. 4, 2016 /CNW/ - A 2014 pilot program for patients with chronic diseases by Green Shield Canada (GSC) and MEMOTEXT Corp. has revealed some new facts about non-adherence to medication. Compiled into "The Importance of Sticking to it" whitepaper, data from the Stick2It program shows that a personalized digital health intervention can improve adherence for hypertension and high cholesterol patients, providing value to the participant, the health benefits provider, and the plan sponsor.

The Stick2it program was made available to any GSC plan member between the ages of 25 and 64 who was recently diagnosed with high cholesterol or hypertension and was just starting a new drug therapy. Accessible on any digital or mobile device, participants received medication reminders and messages about their illness, advice on diet, exercise, and maintaining a healthy lifestyle. They could choose to receive reminders and messages via interactive voice response, short message service (SMS) or email. Using data from participant questionnaires, the MEMOTEXT Personologic Algorithm created a customized messaging and reminder program for each participant.

Stick2It's intervention provided substantial gains in medication persistence, compliance rate, and medication dropout rate. Most important, Stick2It raised participants' hypertension and high-cholesterol medication adherence across the board. The non-adherent and the "vigilant" cohorts of participants saw an increase in adherence, compared to the control group.

The pilot also provided new insights into patient behaviour. For instance, most participants (99%) chose to sign up for the Stick2It program online rather than via phone. Yet, the preferred method for the reminder messages was text, not phone or email. Also, despite the multitude of factors as to why patients don't take their medication, the data shows that the most common reason for people's non-adherence is that they simply forgot.

Patient non-adherence to medication is one of the biggest problems facing health care, costing the Canadian health care system $4 billion alone, as well as lost productivity and increased absenteeism. "The most expensive trend in medication is the growing cost of drugs to treat chronic conditions. But despite this, adherence to chronic disease medication is actually quite low," says David Willows, vice president, Strategic Market Solutions, Green Shield Canada. "In Stick2It we saw an opportunity to increase the medication adherence of our plan members, both improving their health and reducing their plan's spending."

"GSC's mission is to create innovative solutions that provide access to better health for all Canadians." says Willows "'The Importance of Sticking to it' clearly demonstrates that a mobile-based digital health intervention to improve medication adherence for chronic diseases is not only innovative, but highly effective in improving the lives of our plan members."

"As a digital health company specializing in medication adherence I'm extremely proud of the work we did with GSC," said MEMOTEXT founder and president, Amos Adler, M.Sc. "It's a privilege to work with a company that shares our values of innovation and collaboration to create  more integrated, more affordable, and more effective health interventions. And with results like this I'd go so far to say that Stick2It was one of our flagship programs."

ABOUT GREEN SHIELD CANADA

Green Shield Canada is a benefits specialist. It's what they do. But as Canada's only national not-for-profit health and dental specialist, their reason for being is the enhancement of the common good. Green Shield Canada seeks out innovative ways to improve access to better health for Canadians.

From coast-to-coast, their service delivery includes drug, dental, extended health care, vision, hospital and travel benefits for groups and individuals, as well as administration services. Supported by cost containment strategies, advanced technology and exceptional customer service, they create customized programs for over one and a half million plan participants nation-wide.

ABOUT MEMOTEXT

MEMOTEXT Corp. improves outcomes for patients and the bottom line for healthcare stakeholders by ensuring patients adhere to their treatment. With a proprietary, evidence-based self-learning algorithm and communications platform, MEMOTEXT integrates behavior change into the everyday lives of patients with personalized, secure, interactive voice, text, and mobile communications. Visit www.memotext.com

SOURCE MEMOTEXT Corporation

Image with caption: "MEMOTEXT Corporation and Green Shield Canada (CNW Group/MEMOTEXT Corporation)". Image available at: http://photos.newswire.ca/images/download/20160204_C1488_PHOTO_EN_613393.jpg

For further information: David Willows, Vice President, Strategic Market Solutions, Green Shield Canada, 416.221.7001 ext. 4100, david.willows@greenshield.ca; Noah Nemoy, Team Lead Corporate Communications, MEMOTEXT Corp., 1-877-636-6898 ext. 106, noah@memotext.com