MedOrion Blog

Going the Extra Mile: Solving Distance-Related Medication Adherence Challenges With Behavioral Science

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Organizations looking to boost medication adherence should start by identifying the factors preventing patients from following medical recommendations. As we continue examining the various considerations impacting members’ decision-making, it’s time to take a closer look at the challenge of geographical distance.  

 

Accessible medical services play a critical role in ensuring members stay on track with their medication. Many studies in the field show that when distance becomes a challenge, members are less likely to visit their doctor or pharmacy, risking gaps in their treatment. Being away from healthcare providers also creates a knowledge gap we must address. 

 

Behavioral science allows us to detect when geographical distance impacts prescription renewals. By studying members’ behavior and backgrounds, we can tailor solutions that make it easier for them to stick to their treatment plan and improve their health. Here’s how it works. 

 

Members’ Background: Key Factors That Flag Potential Distance Barriers

 

Behavioral science algorithms help us detect elements in a member’s background that suggest a distance-related issue, including the following examples: 

 

  • Access to health services: Members who struggle to reach relevant health services cannot fully utilize their benefits and may experience poor health outcomes, resulting in lower ratings on performance measures such as CAHPS and HEDIS. To see if that’s the case, we map out nearby healthcare services, such as pharmacies and physicians. When looking at pharmacies, we focus on those included in the health plan’s network, thus offering subsidized medication to members. Regarding doctors, we should examine specialists relevant to members’ needs and consider the potential difficulty of securing an appointment. 

 

  • Socioeconomic status: Low-income members, especially those living on the periphery of urban areas, are more likely to rely on public transportation for many needs, including health-related ones. Studies show that the lack of reliable transportation solutions affects people’s health. Low access to medical services within walking distance, long travel times, or irregular transport options further complicate medication adherence and decrease the chances of members following their treatment plan. 

 

Members in low-income areas also face more life stressors and struggle with the difficult task of juggling demanding work schedules and family responsibilities without outsourced help, leaving little time and energy for healthcare visits. Even a short distance to a doctor or pharmacy can become a major hurdle when time is tight.

 

 

  • Physical limitations: Disabled members or those with physical limitations may struggle to reach healthcare services, even if they aren’t too far away. Distance combined with physical barriers can seriously affect their ability to refill prescriptions. When we know of such a disability, the concept of “distance” should be examined with the member’s personal challenge in mind. 

 

Member Behavior: What Actions (or Inactions) Reveal

 

Members’ behaviors provide valuable insights into whether distance affects their medication adherence. Here are some key behaviors we look at:

 

  • Use of available services: Many health plans offer transportation and delivery services for various healthcare needs. Studies showed a 60% increase in medication adherence when using these services. Members who regularly use them tell us that distance and travel time play a vital role in their lives, hinting at why they do not refill prescriptions for medication that cannot be delivered to their doorstep. If members aren’t using the available transportation or delivery services, perhaps they’re unaware that these options exist or don’t know how to use them. 

 

  • Refilling prescriptions on weekends: Purchasing patterns are very telling. Members who only refill prescriptions on weekends may do so because they struggle to find time during the workweek. This suggests that getting to the pharmacy is a significant challenge that requires extra effort, and we can offer targeted solutions accordingly.

 

Addressing the Distance Barrier

 

Once we’ve identified that geographical distance is causing adherence issues, we can use tailored communication strategies to resolve them. 

 

  • Offering transportation and delivery options: If the MedOrion platform flags distance as a problem, we highlight any available transportation or delivery services. We can create how-to guides to walk members through the process of placing an order or have the call-center contact the member to explain how it works. This will boost both medication adherence rates and members’ overall satisfaction levels with the health plan’s service. 

 

  • Explaining the importance of medication adherence: Tailored content can emphasize the critical positive impact medication has on members’ health, reminding members that the health benefits they gain are well worth the effort. We use simple, clear language to convey why taking prescriptions as directed is essential, even when the effort seems inconvenient. Such emails serve as gentle reminders that help support members and steer them in the right direction. 

 

  • Providing additional knowledge: If a member isn’t visiting their doctor regularly due to distance, they miss out on valuable healthcare information regarding treatment options, side effects, and more. Coordinating expectations is important in promoting adherence, and we make up for some of that by offering educational resources that reduce the knowledge gap and reduce the risk of non-adherence.

 

Behavioral science helps us understand members’ challenges so that we can proactively offer practical solutions that make a noticeable difference in engagement. From transportation options to personalized reminders, our approach ensures members don’t fall through the cracks.