Adherence to Medications Used to Manage Noncommunicable Diseases During and After the COVID-19 Era

• Activity Number: 90 - Novel Statistical Methods for COVID Pandemic and Other Current Health Policy Issues
• Type: Contributed
• Date/Time: Monday, August 9, 2021 : 10:00 AM to 11:50 AM
• Sponsor: Health Policy Statistics Section
• Author(s): Tarek A Hassan* and Jorge Enrique Saenz and Danute Ducinskiene and Joseph P Cook and Joseph S. Imperato and Kelly H. Zou
• Companies: Viatris and Viatris and Viatris and Viatris and Viatris (Former Employee) and Viatris
• Keywords: Adherence; Persistence; Noncommunicable diseases; COVID-19; Telemedicine; ehealth

Abstract

NCDs place a huge burden on healthcare systems and society. During COVID19 pandemic, clinicians became aware that individuals affected by COVID19 and associated with NCDs were at a greater risk of poor outcomes and mortality than those without. The importance of adherence to medications and lifestyle changes to prevent or control NCDs has been a major focus for many years, but with limited success. Evidences suggest that a patient-centric approach is critical for improving and ensuring adherence/persistence to medications. The pandemic has brought many changes to the way in which patients with NCDs are managed—use of telemedicine or ehealth and gaining access to medications during the pandemic—are becoming more common and forms the basis for improved NCD care both during and after the pandemic. Over months, many initiatives will run to promote adherence to COVID19 vaccination. Patients with highest risk or severe COVID19, are the ones at most risk of having NCDs. Finally social determinants of health are critical elements that can impact not just the likelihood of having an NCD or COVID19, but also access to healthcare and a patient’s adherence and persistence with their treatments