Highly Commended
Assure patient support programme (Asacol®)
with support from Atlantis Healthcare
Summary of work
Poor adherence is an issue in ulcerative colitis (UC) leading to patients having an increased number of flare-ups, which in turn escalates healthcare costs. Non-adherence considerably impacts on patients’ quality-of-life and causes substantial psychological burden.
Designed for UC patients prescribed Asacol® (mesalazine) tablets, the Assure patient support programme aims to enhance patient overall well-being by addressing beliefs and concerns that are key to improving adherence. Speaking about Assure, Dr Matthew Johnson, a gastroenterologist at Luton and Dunstable Hospital remarked “it’s enlightening to see such an innovative support programme aimed at tackling some of the fundamental issues in UC including non-adherence”.
The key measures of project success were enrolment and increase in persistence to treatment. A wider range of measures were also tracked within a sample of patients to evaluate the perceived value of the service and to determine the impact on patient outcomes.
Judges’ comments
Using a multi-channel, multimedia approach the team developed beautiful and engaging content packed full of tips and information. It is both effective and connected, which was no mean feat. The team achieved impressive outcomes, showcased through strong measurement, from a base of systematic review.
