New NHS Pilot scheme ensures patients adhere to long-term treatment plans

A pilot targeting people with asthma and type two diabetes has displayed how a digital app can encourage patients to continue with medical treatments, which cost the country £930m a year.

Yesterday, Aide, a digital health platform, announced its results after working with the NHS for six months to encourage more people to stick to their prescribed treatment plans.

The study, which focused on 20 patients, aged between 18-75, who either suffered with asthma or type two diabetes, was designed to bridge the gap between patients who failed to follow their recommended treatment plan, as well as supporting people with two or more long-term health conditions.

Research has found to provide treatment for long-term conditions such as asthma or diabetes, it costs England £930m per year however, 26 million people living with the issues are choosing to avoid them.

Left untreated, those living with the conditions are more at risk of asthma attacks, heart attacks or strokes. With current pressures being piled onto the NHS, sticking to a recommended treatment plan could also limit the number of hospital admissions.

Aide, which was Co-founded by Ian Wharton, who struggled with asthma and anaemia from a young age but found his conditions were managed poorly due to a lack of structure and support, conducted daily conversations with patients to help them gage a better understanding of their health.

The digital app asked patients questions about their blood pressure and blood glucose levels (for patients with diabetes), and recorded how often they were taking their medication.

The pilot occurred in North Yorkshire and was launched in May 2022 for six months. At the beginning of the project, Aide discovered 41% of patients stopped taking their medication when they felt their condition was under control, however by the end 75% were taking their treatment frequently.

The biggest area of improvement was seen in patients over 70, with only 40-50% of them using their treatment plan the beginning of the scheme, but this statistic increased to 100% over the span of three and a half months.

Professor Nick Barber, Head of Clinical Outcomes at Aide, said: ‘There is a great unmet need amongst patients with long term conditions – to be helped to understand their medicines and to take them reliably.

‘This is just the start of a longer journey to helping clinicians understand the patients relationship with medication in order to help those who are most in need of it, however the early results are promising.’

Photo by Sahej Brar