Over 45% of noninstitutionalized Americans have one or more chronic conditions, and their direct health care costs account for more than 83% of the $1.4 trillion spent on healthcare in the U.S. each year. The aging population, greater longevity, and medical advances mean that people are living longer with chronic illnesses. Medication is an efficient therapeutic strategy for treating chronic illnesses. However, the average rate of compliance with prescribed medications is only 50% after one year and continues to decline. Nearly 25% of all nursing home admissions and 25%-28% of all hospitalizations are due to noncompliance. Providing the additional service of medication compliance monitoring can save 20-40% of the total health care costs and as much as 90% of long-term care costs. (Pharmacists Society of the State of New York) eMedonline is an efficient and effective disease management tool. It goes beyond reminding patients to take their medications. It also allows them to easily monitor their conditions, symptoms, treatment-associated side effects, and overall well-being. Patients in NIH-sponsored studies report that it makes them feel more confident that they will be able to manage their illnesses.

eMedonline offers the following advantages for disease management:

• Manage adverse events and maintain dose intensity, reducing healthcare costs
• Increase patient compliance with prescribed therapy
• Educate patients on the proper use of medications
• Reduce the time necessary to educate the patient regarding treatment
• Improve patient safety and operational efficiency
• Reduce potential errors in dosing and the overall cost of treatment
• Leverage existing operations and infrastructure
• Offer a complete therapeutic solution