Cardinal Health: Patient-reported outcomes informs patient-centric care
DUBLIN, Ohio — To improve the quality and reduce the costs of treatment provided to patients with complex diseases, a new series of studies being unveiled this week suggests clinicians should start by talking to patients themselves.
A series of new clinical studies published by Cardinal Health Specialty Solutions demonstrates the essential role that patient-reported outcomes research can play in advancing patient-centered care. The studies also illustrate the feasibility of leveraging user-friendly technology solutions to collect PRO data in real-time, at the point of care. The research will be featured at the International Society of Pharmacoeconomic and Outcomes Research annual meeting in Philadelphia, May 16-20, 2015.
“As our healthcare system moves toward a value-based care model, the role of the patient is becoming increasingly important. We need to reframe the way we think about care to include not only the cost and clinical effectiveness of the treatment, but also the burden of disease and therapy on the patient’s perceived sense of well-being,” said Bruce Feinberg, VP and chief medical officer of Cardinal Health Specialty Solutions. “Patient-reported outcomes are key to this equation, particularly for patients being treated for high-cost, complex diseases such as cancer or rheumatoid arthritis.”
Here’s an overview of some of the key findings of Cardinal Health Specialty Solutions research being presented at this year’s ISPOR annual meeting:
One study (abstract #56252 presented in poster session PHS87) used PRO to demonstrate that rheumatologists significantly underestimated the negative impact of RA disease burden and treatment on their patients’ sense of well-being. Understanding this disparity in perceptions can help physicians make effective treatment decisions that lessen the burden on patients, and can sometimes also reduce the costs of their care;
Another study (abstract #56274 presented in poster session PHS88) showed that PRO can be critical to identifying and managing medication access and adherence challenges for high-cost specialty drugs. Of a total of 239 oncology and rheumatology patients who were contacted at the time of their initial prescription to provide patient reported outcomes, 28% were identified as having problems that either restricted access or adherence to the drug. Armed with this information, interventions and support services were provided to address those challenges. With the support of these interventions, a medication possession ration exceeding 95% was achieved – enabling nearly all patients to initiate or continue treatment; and
A third study (abstract #56177 presented in poster session PHS88) proved the feasibility of collecting PRO at the point of care. In the clinical study involving 3,185 RA patients, PRO data was captured during 90% of physician visits through use of the PathWare decision support tool. The participating physicians were then able to utilize the data to inform real-time treatment decisions at the point of care.
“This research demonstrates that technology can be leveraged to efficiently collect patient reported outcomes at the point of care and to help physicians better understand the impact treatment has on their patients,” said Feinberg. “Equally as important, this research reinforces that when we take the time to listen to the patient, we increase our chances of being able to remove the barriers that often get in the way of even the best-laid treatment plans. In doing so, we can move even closer to value-based care by improving patient outcomes and reducing unnecessary costs.”