HealthTxts for Enterprise
Mobile Health Interventions by Vertical Health
Vertical Health, LLC is a pioneer in health education, and digital health. For close to a decade, we have helped millions of patients, and clinicians improve outcomes by developing high-quality health-related information. In 2013, Vertical Health acquired a our mobile health interventions platform from Healthtxts, a company founded and launched by a prominent behavioral psychologists at Columbia University. The goal of this next step in our evolution is to leverage our expertise in order to create programs that utilize technology to change behavior and improve outcomes.
Vertical Health’s interventions are developed by experts who understand the physical and psychological barriers of behavior change and medication compliance. Our experts include an editorial board of medical specialists, behavioral psychologists, allied health practitioners, medical writers, and technologists dedicated to making a more meaningful and tangible impact on patients’ lives.
Together—with our vast patient and clinician audiences—we are ideally positioned to furnish industry, researchers, providers, and payers customized mobile interventions to exceed the needs of all shared stakeholders
Why We Need to Reshape Therapeutic Compliance
In a retrospective review of therapeutic non-compliance, clinicians reported a substantial number of patients did not fill their prescriptions, took incorrect doses and/or at the wrong time, and/or stopped taking their medication too soon.2 Other data involving the treatment of AIDs revealed that “about one-third of patients take less than 60% of prescribed doses, fewer than 10% take all the prescribed doses, and overall adherence rates were less than 80%,”3 increasing the risk for poor outcomes.
| Therapy | Compliance |
|---|---|
| Long-term medication | 40% - 50% |
| Short-term medication | 70% - 80% |
| Positive lifestyle change | 20% - 30% |
Prevalence of Chronic Diseases and its Costs
The facts about chronic diseases in the United States are a powerful testament to why therapeutic compliance is vital. Chronic diseases account for 7 out of 10 deaths each year, and it consumes more than 75% of spending on healthcare.4 In addition, mental problems (eg, depression) and chronic diseases may be concomitant.
| Chronic Disease | Economic Cost | Prevalence Facts |
|---|---|---|
| Heart disease and stroke | $313.8 billion (2009) | 30% of all mortalities 37% of adults have 2 or more risk factors* Among the leading causes of disability |
| Diabetes | $116 billion (2007) | ~24 million Americans have diabetes ~57 million American adults have pre-diabetes Leading cause of kidney failure |
| Smoking-related (Respiratory) | $96 billion (2004) | 3rd leading cause of death is COPD** ~60% of 3-11 year olds are exposed to second-hand smoke Primary risk factor for emphysema, chronic bronchitis, lung cancer |
| Cancer | $89 billion (2007) | 2nd leading cause of death ~11 million live with previous diagnosis 80% related to smoking/second-hand smoke |
| Arthritis | $80.8 billion (2003) | Most common cause of disability Affects 1 in 5 adults ~67 million projected to be affected by 2030 |
| Obesity | $61 billion (2000) | 1 in 3 adults is obese ~1 in 5 youths aged 6-19 years is obese Increases risk for heart disease, cancer, type 2 diabetes, arthritis, and other problems |
**Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease (COPD)
References
1. Walsh D, Caracena AT, Fainsinger R, Foley K, Glare P, Goh C, et al. Prescribing, medication adherence. Palliat Med. 1st ed. Saunders, Elsevier Inc. 2008.
2. Jin J, S GE, Sen Oh V, Chuen Li S. Factors affecting therapeutic compliance: A review from the patient’s perspective. Therapeutic and Clinical Risk Management. 2008;4(1):269-286.
3. Dolin R, Masur H. Saag M. Drug interactions and administration, medication adherence. AIDS Therapy. 3rd ed. Churchill Livingstone, Elsevier Inc. 2008.
4. Center for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). The power of prevention. 2009.
http://www.cdc.gov/chronicdisease/pdf/2009-Power-of-Prevention.pdf. Accessed April 4, 2013.
5. CITA-The Wireless Association®. Background on CTIA’s semi-annual wireless industry survey. 2012. http://files.ctia.org/pdf/CTIA_Survey_MY_2012_Graphics-_final.pdf. Accessed April 4, 2013.
6. Martin CE. Medicine by text message: Learning from the developing world. The Atlantic Monthly. April 4, 2013. http://www.theatlantic.com/health/archive/2013/04/medicine-by-text-message-learning-from-the-developing-world/274656/. Accessed April 4, 2013.
Successful Compliance & Adherence Solutions
Vertical Health’s mobile health interventions integrate web and mobile technologies to provide compliance and adherence solutions that are secure and effective.
Vertical Health works with pharmaceutical companies and device manufacturers to create custom solutions designed to improve patient adherence, compliance and persistency.
Therapeutic compliance is vital to improve outcomes in any treatment or lifestyle change a clinician prescribes or recommends.
We partner with pharmaceutical and device companies, research organizations, providers, and payers.
Medical Trade and Allied Health Solutions
We appreciate your interest in HealthTxts MOTIVE solutions, including HealthTxts.com advertising and promotional opportunities. Please fill out this form to request more information. You will be contacted by a Vertical Health salesperson within 24 hours.
