New Clinical Studies Affirm That Patient-Reported Outcomes Can Improve Quality, Reduce Costs of Care for High-Cost, Complex Diseases

The role of the patient - and user-friendly technology at the point-of-care - are becoming increasingly important to industry's transition to value-based care, says chief medical officer

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Cardinal Health

May 14, 2015, 08:30 ET

DUBLIN, Ohio, May 14, 2015 /PRNewswire/ -- To improve the quality and reduce the costs of treatment provided to patients with complex diseases, a new series of studies being unveiled this week suggests we should start by talking to patients themselves.

A series of new clinical studies published by Cardinal Health Specialty Solutions demonstrate the essential role that patient-reported outcomes (PRO) research can play in advancing patient-centered care. The studies also illustrate the feasibility of leveraging user-friendly technology solutions to collect PRO data in real-time, at the point of care. The research will be featured at the International Society of Pharmacoeconomic and Outcomes Research (ISPOR) annual meeting in Philadelphia, May 16-20, 2015.

"As our healthcare system moves toward a value-based care model, the role of the patient is becoming increasingly important. We need to reframe the way we think about care to include not only the cost and clinical effectiveness of the treatment, but also the burden of disease and therapy on the patient's perceived sense of well-being," said Dr. Bruce Feinberg, vice president and chief medical officer of Cardinal Health Specialty Solutions. "Patient-reported outcomes (PRO) are key to this equation, particularly for patients being treated for high-cost, complex diseases such as cancer or rheumatoid arthritis (RA)."

Here's an overview of some of the key findings of Cardinal Health Specialty Solutions research being presented at this year's ISPOR annual meeting:

One study (abstract #56252 presented in poster session PHS87) used PRO to demonstrate that rheumatologists significantly underestimated the negative impact of RA disease burden and treatment on their patients' sense of well-being. Understanding this disparity in perceptions can help physicians make effective treatment decisions that lessen the burden on patients – and can sometimes also reduce the costs of their care.

Another study (abstract #56274 presented in poster session PHS88) showed that PRO can be critical to identifying and managing medication access and adherence challenges for high-cost specialty drugs.

Of a total of 239 oncology and rheumatology patients who were contacted at the time of their initial prescription to provide patient reported outcomes, 28% were identified as having problems that either restricted access or adherence to the drug. Armed with this information, interventions and support services were provided to address those challenges. With the support of these interventions, a medication possession ration exceeding 95% was achieved – enabling nearly all patients to initiate or continue treatment.

A third study (abstract #56177 presented in poster session PHS88) proved the feasibility of collecting PRO at the point of care. In the clinical study involving 3,185 RA patients, PRO data was captured during 90% of physician visits through use of the PathWare™ decision support tool. The participating physicians were then able to utilize the data to inform real-time treatment decisions at the point of care.

"This research demonstrates that technology can be leveraged to efficiently collect patient reported outcomes at the point of care and to help physicians better understand the impact treatment has on their patients," said Feinberg. "Equally as important, this research reinforces that when we take the time to listen to the patient, we increase our chances of being able to remove the barriers that often get in the way of even the best-laid treatment plans. In doing so, we can move even closer to value-based care by improving patient outcomes and reducing unnecessary costs."

Attendees of the ISPOR annual meeting can learn more by attending one of the poster presentations, or by visiting Cardinal Health Specialty Solutions' booth #310 at the 2015 ISPOR Annual Meeting. Click here for full abstracts of the company's research being featured at ISPOR.

About Cardinal Health Specialty Solutions
Cardinal Health Specialty Solutions provides clinical, reimbursement, technology and distribution services that help health care professionals, payers and pharmaceutical and biotech companies improve the quality and cost-effectiveness of caring for patients who are managing complex diseases. Cardinal Health Specialty Solutions helps customers alleviate day-to-day administrative burdens, optimize business functions and partner to implement new innovations that move their businesses forward. To learn more, visit www.cardinalhealth.com/specialtysolutions.

About Cardinal Health
Headquartered in Dublin, Ohio, Cardinal Health, Inc. (NYSE: CAH) is a $91 billion health care services company that improves the cost-effectiveness of health care. As the business behind health care, Cardinal Health helps pharmacies, hospitals, ambulatory surgery centers, clinical laboratories and physician offices focus on patient care while reducing costs, enhancing efficiency and improving quality. Cardinal Health is an essential link in the health care supply chain, providing pharmaceuticals and medical products and services to more than 100,000 locations each day and is also the industry-leading direct-to-home medical supplies distributor. The company is a leading manufacturer of medical and surgical products, including gloves, surgical apparel and fluid management products. In addition, the company operates the nation's largest network of radiopharmacies that dispense products to aid in the early diagnosis and treatment of disease. Ranked #22 on the Fortune 500, Cardinal Health employs 34,000 people worldwide. More information about the company may be found at www.cardinalhealth.com and @CardinalHealth on Twitter.