Patients don't take their meds...  and this is not only a huge problem for elderly care but is a broad issue across all ages and demographics.  According to an article attached here from Pharmaceutical Commerce magazine, the statistics are horror stories:

• 1/3rd of Teen Asthma sufferers take their prescription
• 1/2 of High Blood Pressure sufferers take their medicines
• Even doctors don't take their meds 20% of the time

Here are some of the reasons why:

In home care it's a much bigger issue.  According to the investor presentation that accompanied the Amedisys annual report for their fiscal year ending March 2009, their average patient is 82 years old and has been prescribed 13 medications.

We've also read many case studies on transitional care (taking care of patients after a hospitalization) and have learned that medication adherence is among the leading root causes for the 20% readmission rate of Medicare patients within 30 days of discharge.

So in order to fulfill Ankota's mission to improve the quality of care outside the hospital and promote aging in place, we're going to need to follow this issue closely.  In order to help, I found an interesting blog written by Amy Yoffie, the founder of iReminder.  You can learn reach her blog by clicking on the banner below.

Ankota provides software to improve the delivery of healthcare outside of the hospital.  In addition to offering a comprehensive software suite for Private Duty Non-Medical Home Care, and software to improve scheduling efficiency for home care, medical equipment delivery, infusion therapy and respiratory therapy operations, Ankota is helping to meet the needs of emerging care models such as transitional care and geriatric care management.  To learn more, please visit www.ankota.com or contact Ankota.