Patient-centred app for medication adherence, clinical consultation and observational research

Clinical Need

About 15m adults in the UK (source: The King’s Fund) have a long term condition (LTC) with many people experiencing more than one. LTCs account for about 70% of UK healthcare spend and medication nonadherence costs more than €137bn per annum. According to NICE, between one third and one half of all medicines prescribed for long-term conditions are not taken as recommended. This negatively affects patients’ lives, the NHS and society.

Parkinson’s affects one in 500 people, with more than 127,000 sufferers in the UK costing the NHS almost £1bn per annum. Having access to technology which empowers people to self-manage their condition can be more persuasive than a real doctor when it comes to ensuring patients adhere to their medication.

Hand holding a smartphone displaying a colorful pinwheel app interface with multiple icons, resting on a wooden surface.

Summary of Innovation

uMotif developed a smartphone and web-based self-management platform that collects data to support medication adherence and clinical consultation and research. It is a cloud-based, validated and secure system. The simple tool includes daily self-tracking, medicines reminders, opt-in sharing and engaging cognitive testing games.

The original product prototype was first developed together with regional AHSNs for a study which aimed to help patients with Parkinson’s Disease improve their medicine taking regime, thus reducing economic and social healthcare costs. The study of more than 200 participants was analysed by the Liverpool School of Tropical Medicine and revealed a 10% improvement in adherence and a significant improvement in patient’s experience of care and follow-up consultations.

Patient Perspective

Using the uMotif platform, patients are more likely to adhere to their medication because they feel in control of their condition. The app supports self management and reduces unnecessary trips to the GP surgery or hospital. When patients do need to see their GP, they benefit from higher quality consultations where collaborative goal setting and treatment planning are enabled by the technology. Patients feel comfortable and confident using the platform because it is engaging, easy to use and secure.

  • “Using uMotif’s technology has helped my husband understand for the first time
    the complexity and reality of my medication regime. He’s now better able to
    support my Parkinson’s self-management”

  • “uMotif has offered our patients an excellent graphical diary of their progress through the vital process of cardiac rehabilitation following a cardiac event. The data gleaned by both patient and rehab staff enables us to tailor each individual’s programme to their needs.”

    Dr Will Davies, Consultant Cardiologist, Royal Papworth Hospital

  • “I used uMotif on a clinical trial, supporting patients to manage their health between clinical appointments. Patients manage their health using a range of options – symptoms, medications, physio, diet and exercise to name a few. uMotif helps patients to manage all these on one straightforward, simple, easy to use app. Older patients found the app easy to use.”

    Philip Brown, Newcastle upon Tyne Hospitals NHS Trust

Company Overview

uMotif has built a software platform that patients love to use. Founded in 2012 by founders Bruce Hellman and Ben James, and now a world leader in the real-world evidence data capture field, uMotif has utilised modern technology to build acloud-based, user–friendly platform, available on any device.

Historically, patient data capture has relied on provisioned devices, paper forms or been neglected entirely, but uMotif’s revolutionary platform and industry leading patient engagement rates signal a significant breakthrough in technological innovation in the sector. The company were originally awarded £571,107 in the medicines management SBRI Healthcare programme funded by the Department of Health and have since won further funding to develop other applications of the platform technology.

“Patient-centricity gets to the core of what clinical research and healthcare should be doing – focusing on how the patient’s experience and journey can be maximized. Whether the patient is receiving care in their hospital or taking part in a trial of a ground-breaking new therapy.”

Bruce Hellman, CEO, uMotif

NHS Impact

The NHS benefits from the use of the uMotif platform by saving time and money for patients and clinicians while notably improving healthcare outcomes. Use of the product boosts the effectiveness of consultations and research, saving time, money and paper for everyone involved.

Furthermore, the patient-centric technology is a growing success world-wide and awareness continues to increase. Not least of all, uMotif is now a successful UK-based global company, with over 50% of its revenues coming from the USA.

An economic budgetary assessment estimates cost savings of £64.32 per patient annually with use of the uMotif system. Overall, using this kind of cloud-based technology could save the NHS more than £20m in Parkinson’s treatment each year when rolled out to neurology departments across the UK.

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