MedMaiDE
UNIVERSITY OF MARYLAND
MedMaIDE™ is an assessment tool to examine an elderly patient’s comprehension of their prescribed medication ; their knowledge of the dosage ; and their ability to procure prescription medications.
MedMaIDE™ is an assessment tool to examine an elderly patient’s comprehension of their prescribed medication ; their knowledge of the dosage ; and their ability to procure prescription medications.
Individuals over 65 are the leading consumers of medicines in the United States. Non-compliance or non-adherence of prescription medication is the second largest health problem in the United States. Medication management for this age group is a complicated process, involving selecting the right drug, reading prescription labels, opening safety caps, removing pills, pouring out syrup, ensuring that the patient can consume it correctly and understanding side effects.
The University of Maryland - School of Pharmacy partnered with Twist Open UX to turn a paper form into a web-based tool that could be easily used by older adults at home. The Medication Management Instrument for Deficiencies in the Elderly (MedMaIDE) web tool yields a deficiency score to assess medication compliance.
The product was specifically tailored for patients over the age of 65. Changing demographics in the geriatric age group suggest that this age group is now suitably familiar with digital interfaces. One third of older adults who have cognitive impairment are still responsible for taking their own medications.
The focus was to ensure that geriatric patients understood their prescriptions, including the purpose of the medication, proper administration, dosage frequency, side effects if any, and the procurement process. Each response was assigned a score, and a predetermined threshold was set. After collecting the data, pharmacists, physicians, and other healthcare providers used the scores to enable targeted interventions to improve medication adherence. The ultimate goal is to optimize medication management to enhance the health, well-being, and independence of elderly individuals.
We meticulously recorded every detail about the medications, including the mode of administration and frequency, while also including questions to assess the ease of medication use, with corresponding scores assigned based on responses.
We simplified the language into lay terms so it could be used by people who were not health care professionals (e.g. family members), and changed the sequence of questions to reduce cognitive load and ensuring maximum compliance.
Our main goal was to create a user interface that was both simple and comprehensible, catering to elderly patients who might have trouble reading or using digital devices effectively due to their ailments. During the design process, we carefully considered these factors to ensure inclusiveness and usability.
We introduced alternative input formats such as voice notes, pictures or videos to make the communication richer and easier for patients who may have impaired hand eye coordination and fine motor control. We used enlarged typography and buttons with large target tap areas, making them easily accessible.
The MedMaIDE tool computes a deficiency score for three areas - Knowing the medication, taking the medication and procuring refills of the medication. This deficiency score is sent to the local healthcare practitioner who can plan interventions that are tailored to patients to improve compliance more successfully. This could help in preventing adverse events, such as hospital emergency room visits due to noncompliance of medication. The translation of the original MedMaIDE paper form to a web-based tool plays a vital role in timely intervention for elderly patients.
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