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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 health
care in the U.S. annually. The aging of the 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.
According to a study by Medco Health Solutions, every $1 spent on medication for diabetes
patients saves $7 in medical costs—and noncompliant patients are twice as likely to be
hospitalized. There are similar cost savings for other chronic diseases such as high cholesterol
and hypertension. For high cholesterol patients, every $1 spent on medication saves $5.10 in
medical costs.
For hypertensive patients, every $1 spent on medication saves $3.98 in medical costs.
eMedonline is an effective telemonitoring tool. It helps patients easily monitor their conditions,
symptoms, treatment-associated side effects, and overall well-being. Recent usability tests at
the User-Centered Informatics Research Lab (UCIRL) of the National Cancer Institute demonstrated
that patients highly value eMedonline and find it to be very easy to use. They reported that the
system was reassuring, kept them aware and in touch, and prevented them from disregarding important
symptoms. The compliance data collected helps providers and clinicians monitor health status and
deliver better care, resulting in better outcomes for the patient and lower healthcare utilization
costs for the payer. Clinicians participating in the usability testing at NCI characterized eMedonline
as “a great boon for the research nurse or clinical trial coordinator.”
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