9 Innovative Ways Digital Health Tools Can Support Alzheimer’s and Dementia Patients
Alzheimer’s disease and dementia are neurological conditions that affect the memory, daily functioning, and cognitive abilities of over 55 million people worldwide. The effects of these conditions are wide-reaching and often present various challenges for patients, caregivers, and families. However, advances in research and technology aimed at improving Alzheimer’s care are bringing promising digital health solutions to the forefront.
Technology solutions offer new possibilities for enhancing patient care and supporting caregivers,such as cognitive training apps and remote monitoring tools. RxPx’s patient-centred platform can support Alzheimer’s and dementia patients by streamlining patient onboarding and enhancing support with personalized adherence tools, educational resources, and community-building features that improve engagement and outcomes.
This article explores how digital health apps and tools, including those developed by RxPx, can play a vital role in supporting Alzheimer’s and dementia patients and how pharmaceutical companies can leverage these technologies to enhance treatment outcomes while improving patient engagement.
1. Improved Medication Management
Managing medications is a critical aspect of care for Alzheimer’s patients, as it ensures that they receive the correct dosages at accurate times. Digital health apps can play a significant role in this area by providing tools that help both patients and caregivers manage medications more effectively. Features such as electronic calendars, reminder notifications, and voice-activated assistants can assist patients in remembering to take their medications. These types of tools have been noted by the Alzheimer’s Society as extremely valuable when it comes to supporting patients in managing their daily activities.
Some pharmaceutical brands question whether an older patient demographic can adapt to new technological tools in order to support daily medication routines. In our Oncology Adherence Program, our client was experiencing significant medication adherence issues, with clinical trials showing 50% discontinuation of treatment within the first eight weeks of therapy. Once the RxPx platform was deployed, it was found that71% of patients stayed on therapy past the eight-week mark, compared to the 50% showcased in the clinical trials.
“The app does a good job of reminding me. I get a notification bell sound in my hearing aids when it’s time for the medication. Before I got your app, I was often off by 15 or 45 minutes. Great app!!” – Oncology Adherence Program Patient
2. Decentralized Clinical Trials (DCTs)
Digital health technologies allow for the remote collection of information at every stage of the clinical trial and can improve recruitment and participation rates via a patient-centric trial approach. Unfortunately, Alzheimer’s Disease has a high therapeutic failure rate (99.6% failure rate between 2002 and 2012). As a result, there are relatively few clinical trials undertaken for Alzheimer’s Disease therapeutics. The use of remote visits offers hope of broader recruitment which can reduce inequalities in the sample size by better representing age, geography, and ethnicity. Furthermore DCTs can make it easier to involve primary healthcare providers and caregivers. Using technology to conduct decentralized clinical trials as an approach to this problem not only enhances the efficiency of clinical trials but also ensures that the data collected is comprehensive and reflective of the patient’s experience.
Pharmaceutical companies stand to gain from the accurate and real-time data these apps provide, which can inform future drug development and patient support initiatives.
3. Cognitive Training and Brain Games
Cognitive training exercises and brain games are valuable tools for individuals with Alzheimer’s and dementia, as they can help stimulate brain activity, enhance memory retention, and maintain cognitive function over time. Digital health tools that provide cognitive training exercises and brain game activities are designed to challenge various aspects of the brain, including problem-solving, attention, language, and executive function, which can help maintain cognitive function and slow the progression of Alzheimer’s and other forms of dementia.
Pharmaceutical companies can leverage technology vendors and application developers to create evidence-based cognitive training programs that complement their therapies and provide value for patients and caregivers. In a healthcare landscape that increasingly values holistic approaches, integrating cognitive training with medical treatments adds significant value and offers a more comprehensive care plan for individuals with Alzheimer’s and dementia.
4. Remote Monitoring and Telehealth
Remote monitoring and telehealth services can empower Alzheimer’s patients and their caregivers by providing timely, personalized care with enhanced accessibility, communication, and support. These solutions allow patients increased access to care, regular check-ins, personalized care plans, enhanced communication, convenience and comfort, access to resources and education, and cost-effectiveness.
Remote monitoring data can provide insights into patient behavior and treatment efficacy, leading to more personalized and effective therapies.
5. Behavioural and Mood Tracking
Digital health tools can also track behavioral changes and mood swings, providing valuable data for caregivers and healthcare professionals. This data can be leveraged to better understand the impact of their treatments on patients’ overall wellbeing, creating a more holistic model for patient support.
6. Social Engagement and Support Networks
Social engagement for Alzheimer’s patients is another important factor, as social isolation is shown to exacerbate cognitive impairment in Alzheimer’s patients. Digital tools that include social platforms offer opportunities for greater support among patients and provide a helpful community for patients to lean on.
RxPx’s patient platform offers peer-to-peer communities to provide patients with a peer support network focused on improving health literacy, enhancing education about their specific health condition, mastering a particular challenge, and creating valuable connections between community members. Within these communities patients can access daily check-ins, coaching from nurses and field experts, evidence-based health programs, live in-app events, and expert opinion podcasts. Our Stronger Together case study found that 63% of participants felt a positive increase in wellbeing and 62% expressed a decrease in stress levels.
7. Personalized Care Plans
Digital health apps can create personalized care plans based on individual patient needs and preferences. This creates a large opportunity for pharmaceutical companies to integrate their therapies into personalized care plans, improving patient adherence and outcomes.
8. Safety and Location Tracking
It is believed that up to 60 percent of individuals with Alzheimer’s will wander at least once during the course of their disease, and many will wander multiple times. By utilizing wearable devices and GPS-enabled apps, caregivers can ensure the safety of Alzheimer’s patients while still promoting their independence. These technologies not only enhance the safety net around vulnerable individuals but also foster confidence and peace of mind for both patients and their families. The use of technology can enhance patient safety and provide additional value to their therapies for both patients and caregivers alike.
9. Educational Resources and Caregiver Support
Continuing education for dementia has been shown to be beneficial by improving informal caregiver knowledge, Alzheimer’s care, management, and caregiver physical and mental health. Technology-based dementia education has been noted to have equivalent effects as in-person education, but with the added benefit of asynchronous and/or remote delivery, which increases accessibility.
Conclusion
Patients and caregivers face a plethora of challenges as they navigate the Alzheimer’s/dementia patient journey. Pharma has a huge opportunity to contribute and improve the quality of life for patients and caregivers. If you’re interested in learning about the ways in which partnering with a technology firm like RxPx can help you add value to your therapy offering, reach out to us today.