Yay! Heal for America is an idea whose time may be just in time for the aging in place of boomers and seniors. No doubt you've been reading for years about 'Teach for America' -- a much sought program for those newly minted college grads, these 'best and the brightest' want to inject their enthusiasm and energy into teaching in public schools, often in areas of the country where talent is most scarce.
September 2, 2009
CENTER FOR TECHNOLOGY AND AGING RELEASES GUIDELINES FOR
$500,000 Medication Optimization Diffusion Grants Program
One-Year Grants Designed to Identify Ways to Rapidly Spread Technologies
That Can Reduce $290 Billion in Non-Adherence and $47 Billion in Drug-Related Hospitalizations Annually in U.S.
Harvard Pilgrim Health Care launches a medication adherence pilot program with MedMinder Systems
Newton, MA August 31, 2009. Harvard Pilgrim Health Care and MedMinder Systems, Inc., will be collaborating to study the use of MedMinder services in a population of patients with chronic illness. The randomized controlled study, which begins in early September, is focused on assessing the impact of the MedMinder system in a population of patients with chronic kidney disease (CKD) who must take multiple medications.
I am fortunate to have a paper copy of 'Inside GCM' in front of me (related website is aginglifecare.org) -- the publication of the "National Association of Professional Geriatric Care Managers" (NAPGCM). Geriatric care managers are typically trained and certified in coordinating care needs of seniors, referred by MDs or engaged by family members, particularly in long-distance care situations. They can be drawn from fields like social work, nursing, occupational therapy or other specialties.
The medication reminder world has had three tiers of product offerings -- telephone-based reminders, reminders linked to emergency response offerings, and electronic pillboxes. And medication errors, including those from incorrectly filling pillboxes, continue to be vexing.
It's always hard to tell whether something is observation or insight (or just plain wrong). But I've done 13 interviews in the past few months about home health technologies, with vendors ranging from A (Advanced Warning Systems) to Z (Zume Life). I am beginning to see a pattern about product offerings that seems to have three dimensions. These may be related to product success long term -- cost, capital, clinician involvement.
Recently I sat next to a neurologist on a flight who complained to me about a vexing problem. Elderly patients with dementia would arrive at her office to have their medications adjusted, but would bring no documentation of what they were already taking. Often the patient arrived from an Assisted Living or nursing home facility -- their excuse? Carrying the paperwork in the van was a violation of the patient's privacy.
