TOKYO, April 4, 2017 -- Chugai Pharmaceutical Co., Ltd. (Head Office: Chuo-ku, Tokyo; Chairman & CEO: Osamu Nagayama) and Embrace Co., Ltd. (Head Office: Minato-ku, Tokyo, President and CEO: Manabu Ito) announced that both companies have commenced a trial service at certain key hospitals of an application program (app) to support adherence to medication in conjunction with a multi-disciplinary SNS (social networking service) that ensures smooth communication between patients and healthcare providers (HCPs) for the purpose of supporting the adherence to medication of patients.

This app to support adherence to medication is a service developed by Chugai to promote multidisciplinary team care in cancer treatment. Meanwhile, Embrace operates “MedicalCareStation”, a completely private SNS that was developed exclusively for HCPs and nursing providers for the establishment of an integrated community care system. “MedicalCareStation” is currently used by 24,000 healthcare and related facilities nationwide, and has been formally adopted by over 180 medical associations in Japan.

By linking this app to “MedicalCareStation”, we expect to promote active communication among HCPs centered around patients and smooth communication between patients and HCPs. In addition, as the daily status of a patient’s medication adherence and symptoms of concern are shared with HCPs in a timely manner, it will particularly contribute to enhancing the medication adherence of patients who receive outpatient cancer treatment in order to manage their side effects.

This trial has been conducted on a limited number of users based on the approval of the Institutional Review Board at the targeted key hospitals. As this app is operated on the multidisciplinary SNS platform, it is simple to spread users in facilities that have adopted “MedicalCareStation” after vilification, and this is one of its features.

Background
In outpatient cancer treatment, there are cases where an adverse event becomes serious before the next visit, and leads to discontinuing medication. As early detection of side effects and measures to combat them are important in order to avoid this situation, we have developed a system that enables patients to record their subjective symptoms and promptly communicate with HCPs.

Solution Structure
Drug Adherence Support App: Provide functions where patients or their families can record daily subjective symptoms and the status of medication adherence, post recorded information to multidisciplinary SNS, and can watch a video which demonstrates warning signs and symptoms in order to countermeasure them etc.
Multidisciplinary SNS: Provide functions that facilitates communication between patients and HCPs, and also communication among HCPs etc.

Future Developments
QuintilesIMS IMS Japan K.K. (Head Office: Minato-ku, Tokyo, President: Fumihiko Ugajin) will verify the efficacy of the app and any issues through interviews and surveys. Based on the results of this verification, we will consider offering this app using a multidisciplinary SNS nationwide and making it available in disease areas other than cancer.

Chugai and Embrace aim to further promote adherence to medication and side effect management through the development of patient-centered communications.

References

Communication flow with a drug adherence support app operated on the multidisciplinary SNS platform (Conceptual Illustration)