Published: June 10, 2021

Avita Health System Seeking Patients with Type 2 Diabetes for National Study

GALION/ONTARIO – Avita Health System is participating in the Personalized-Medication Adherence and Persistence Program (P-MAPP) – a national research initiative to better understand the medication perceptions of patients with Type 2 diabetes. Avita is currently seeking patients with Type 2 diabetes to participate in ongoing research at Galion and Ontario Hospitals.

P-MAPP was developed in collaboration with the FDA’s Center for Drug Research; it brings together real world data with input from patients. For more than 12 months, Avita’s team of pharmacists have been actively recruiting patients and engaging their input on what drives decisions regarding how, when, and if they take certain medications to manage their diabetes. The study will continue for another year.

“One thing you encounter in researching the habits of patients is we too often only look objectively at patient data in databases of information rather than simply engaging the patient for their input on their habits,” said Brad Schwartz, Pharmacy Clinical Services Manager at Avita Health System. “The approach of this initiative, trying to better understand patient perceptions, experiences, and barriers by teaming a pharmacist with each patient and combining it with real world data, is what makes it unique in terms of research.”

Using the MediMergent digital platform, the study collects data from real world sources including patient-reported experience surveys, medical records, and pharmacy fill/refill data.

“We talk about the patient being the most underutilized resource in health care, yet we are organized to get information about the patient without focusing on getting information with the patient,” Greg Simon, MediMergent president, said. “The P-MAPP leverages the strengths of pharmacists to engage directly with patients, capture their voices and together improve health outcomes.”

Patients that are enrolled in the program are partnered with an Avita pharmacist in either Ontario or Galion who will follow up with them periodically over the course of 12 months via brief surveys, interview sessions, and point-of-care laboratory testing. Patients can complete the 5-10 minute surveys in person or online and the one-on-one time with the pharmacist can be in person, over the phone, or via telehealth. Scheduled appointments with a pharmacist and point of care testing, such as A1c and cholesterol, are done at no cost to the patient.

“We are currently working with a number of patients in our health-system and definitely want to continue enrolling patients who are interested in providing their input. The ease of telehealth and online interactions has definitely made our check-ins with patients much easier and accessible. Point of care tests are of course in person, but the patients do like to get an update on things like their A1c or kidney function. Each voice helps this initiative get a better mix of information towards the overall goal of advancing knowledge of medication safety, improving health outcomes for each patient, and ultimately others that are taking the same medications for their diabetes,” added Schwartz.