Senscio’s Krista Thomas on the importance of education and engagement in achieving better outcomes
As treatments continue to advance, those with complex chronic disease have the ability to live longer and better than ever before. But these treatments only work if people actually use them. Despite providers’ best efforts, there isn’t always the time in a brief or rushed office visit to make sure patients fully understand what is being prescribed and why.
Senscio’s Ibis Health Program can help, providing daily medication reminders and assistance in answering patient questions and navigating potential side effects. Designed for individuals with two or more chronic conditions, Ibis Health works to empower thousands of Medicare Part B beneficiaries to feel their best and remain independent.
Ibis Health turns the home into the first point of contact for day-to-day care with its patented AI-powered IbisHubTM platform that connects members to Ibis clinical specialists in real time. Remote monitoring and other self-management tools create insights for timely intervention, and Ibis Member Advocates work one-on-one with each member to set goals and provide the coaching and encouragement to achieve them.
The ongoing coordinated support has allowed many Ibis Health members to improve their well-being and avoid unnecessary trips to the hospital. They are also more likely to take all their meds as prescribed, reporting an 80 percent adherence rate while participating in the program.
As an Ibis Health member advocate and certified medical assistant, Krista Thomas loves to help members figure out ways to stay on top of their meds.
She is passionate about helping each member to understand what they are taking and why, as well as working to eliminate barriers that might keep members from accessing the medications their providers have prescribed.
“If you are taking the right meds, you are likely to handle your diseases better and for them not to get worse. It’s extremely important,” said Thomas, who came to Ibis Health with years of experience in various health care settings, including hospitals, nursing homes, primary care and in-home care. “I love teaching somebody how to use their medications correctly, and the reasons we use them as prescribed. Knowledge is so much power, and the more knowledge we give people, the better they are with taking care of their health.”
Often, when we talk about individuals staying on top of their medications, we refer to this idea of medication adherence. What are we talking about when we use that term?
“Medication adherence is taking your medications as prescribed, on the right day, at the right time, the correct doses, every day, not just here or there. It is taking your meds as they are prescribed by your doctor.”
Why is it important to have good medication adherence, especially when it comes to managing chronic conditions?
“Well, when we do not take our meds as prescribed, you are more likely to have other side effects, less likely to be able to treat the disease that you are trying to treat, and more likely to have complications with them. It’s a big issue in the United States that a high percentage of people are not taking their medications correctly, and we could prevent so many diseases and deaths if we just take our medications, at the right time, with the correct dose, every single day as the doctor prescribes. But it can be hard at times for people, depending on their situations and other barriers that might come in between them and their ability to get their medications.”
How does Ibis Health help members to take their meds as prescribed, on the right day, at the right time, with the correct dose?
“We provide a tablet for each member, and on that tablet are their medications. We are able to set up times and alarms to go off to remind them to take their medications. We also provide support to help members who struggle with remembering their meds or understanding the differences in their meds. We help them obtain pill packs, where all their meds come in one little pack and they can just take all of their morning meds at once. We also have nurse practitioners on staff who can help educate people on their medications. If you don’t understand what you are taking a med for, you are less likely to take it. And just having education on why you are taking it, what the need is, how it’s going to affect your body and what benefits you are going to get from it helps people have better compliance with their medications.”
That education piece seems so important. As we all know, doctor visits go quickly and sometimes there just isn’t enough time to ask all the questions?
“Yes, in a doctor’s office, sometimes you are not in there long enough or you forget, when you walk out that door, to clarify, ‘Oh, I’m starting this new med, I forgot to ask when is the best time of day to take it, what do I do with it.’ So our nurse practitioners and nurses on staff can answer those questions and provide guidance. And if needed, they can advise you to call your PCP and sometimes we’ll even be able to reach out to your PCP as well for clarification on those meds.”
What if I am having trouble getting my meds? Or I’ve lost one of my bottles of pills and I need to get a refill? Can Ibis Health help me navigate those situations as well?
“Always. If a member reaches out to us because they are unable to get one of their medications, we will do everything in our power to help them find another avenue to get that medication. With some medications, people just can’t afford them. I have sent out applications to members so they can apply for assistance programs to get their medications at a lower cost. If you’re having problems with the pharmacy, we can always try to help you find a pharmacy in the area that may have the medication available. We provide many different ways to help people stay adherent to their medications.”
As members continue with the program, are you noticing changes in their medication adherence and the way that they handle their medications?
“Definitely. Once they have the knowledge, you can see the medication adherence go up, you can see how they are taking better care of themselves, you can see as their blood sugars go down, their blood pressures go down, and you know that hey, all it took was them taking their medications correctly for this to happen. And I have a lot more people who are asking to get off of their meds, which is wonderful that they are having those conversations, because it means they are realizing what their meds are for. So they’ll say, ‘OK, I’m on multiple blood pressure medications, well, I want to talk to my doctor about taking some of these away.’ And then if they are tracking their blood pressure daily, and we have that data to prove, hey this is working and the blood pressures are trending lower, they have that information to take to their doctor with them. We can also send it to their PCP prior to any appointments they may have. That way, the PCP has all of their vital signs that they’ve been tracking through the tablet, and can make better informed decisions on their treatment.”
To learn more about Senscio Systems and its innovative Ibis Health Program visit www.sensciosystems.com and www.ibishealth.org.
Media contact: media@sensciosystems.com
