Improve Cost-Benefit and Risk-Benefit Outcomes in Multiple Sclerosis Patients

Multiple Sclerosis (MS) is a progressive neurological disease with irreversible physical disability and functional impairment. MS affects about 400,000 individuals in the US with 200 new cases being diagnosed every week. Medications accounted for about 70% of the costs associated with MS. Over 26% of the costs were due to ER visits, hospitalizations and SNF stays.

MS is disease that has an early age of onset and may intensify and subside with disease relapses or exacerbations interspersed by periods of stability. Due to the heterogeneity of the patient population, treatment in MS is highly individualized.

Improved Multiple Sclerosis Outcomes by Utilizing Healthcare Technology

Acuma Health’s Digital Disease Management (DDM) Solution provides the following benefits to healthcare stakeholders in the management of MS:

  • Improve cost-benefit and risk-benefit outcomes in patients with multiple sclerosis 
  • Evolve and manage formularies as a host of new oral MS drugs enter the marketplace
  • Improve patient self-management of MS 
  • Enable care teams to develop trusted relationships with patients and support them during their therapy
  • Walking limitations are the most visible manifestations of MS.
  • Acuma Health’s DDM Solution provides the ability to get a longitudinal assessment of mobility impairment/walking performance via periodic timed walk tests, activity, and mobility analysis and periodic surveys to assess quality of life (QOL).
  • Care teams are notified in a timely manner upon deviation in mobility levels from the patient’s baseline, enabling timely follow-up and intervention.
  • Because MS is diagnosed at a relatively younger age (20 to 40 years), it represents a greater economic burden than other chronic diseases and has a substantial impact on health, quality of life, productivity, and employment over many years.
  • Management of MS and associated non-medication related costs are impacted by the myriad symptoms of the disease – such as fatigue, mobility impairment, bladder dysfunction, pain, dizziness, tremors and the like.
  • The Acuma Health DDM Solution enables patients to report symptoms and their intensity via an intuitive visual user interface.
  • Patients can easily provide multi-modal data such as images and videos which allows care teams to assess the symptoms and provide timely interventions.
  • Studies have demonstrated that while predicted costs increase with the progression of disease, early intervention significantly reduces the overall cost in patients with MS.
  • Acuma Health’s DDM Solution for MS provides a comprehensive disease management program that promotes disease awareness and medication adherence. It provides real-time alerts and notifications to patients and care team members to improve timeliness of medication administration and medication adherence.
  • Patients with MS are less likely to experience relapses, emergency department (ED) visits, and hospitalizations when they are adherent to therapeutic regimens.
  • Oral agents have the advantage over injectable therapies in improving adherence. A host of expensive oral drugs have entered the market place. Managed care organizations (MCO) and specialty pharmacies need data on efficacy and tolerability to effectively manage their formularies.
  • Acuma Health’s DDM Solution enables longitudinal tracking of disease progression and monitors adherence patterns, tracks symptoms and QOL, and provides valuable data to help stakeholders establish the benefit-risk profile for these new drugs.

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