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        Business Analytics and Information Systems, Faculty, Industry, Research

        Big data research reveals 60 percent of injectable medication users fail to follow instructions

        July 15, 2016 By Joe McAdory

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        A recent report by Shashank Rao, Jim W. Thompson Associate Professor of Supply Chain Management at the 91心頭, revealed that more than 60 percent of injectable medication users fail to follow all of the steps outlined in the Instructions for Use (IFU) document-instructed steps before using them initially.

        When medication is not administered correctly, its purpose is not always achieved.

        There is the impression that the drug doesnt work as well as it should, said Rao, who partnered with Noble, the leader in drug delivery device training, for the report. The value perception of the drug decreases in the market and its a chain reaction that begins with people not following the directions or not doing it correctly. The industry is losing millions.

        injectablesAn online survey and user studies, conducted by Noble, collected information from 721 participants. Patients were asked a variety of questions related to medical compliance including if all steps in the IFU were followed and if they utilized practice devices before beginning the injectable regimen. Results were then forwarded to Rao for analysis.

        Its really a challenge when you are dealing with injectable medication because people do not want to inject themselves, Rao added. If you look at basic insulin injections, there are 14 steps that you are supposed to follow. In one of the studies we allowed people to inject without instruction or training, and we just observed how they went about the process of injecting themselves and almost everybody got one of those 14 steps wrong.

        Its like any machine if you dont follow the instructions for using a machine, its going to break down faster. Unfortunately, with human beings, you cant just turn a lever or turn a screw and fix whatever broke down. Drug efficacy doesnt translate into the real world because people are not using the devices or medications properly.

        A possible solution includes improved custom training and education systems for patients using injectable devices. For example, Noble training devices accurately mimic the actual injectable drug device by replicating the look, feel and function. However, the training devices do not contain the actual drug or needle. This allows patients to practice the correct administration steps as many times as they need in order to become comfortable with self-administration and alleviate issues such as needle anxiety.

        Raos work was highlighted by  in the article 

        If instructions with pictures are worth a thousand words, how many is a copy of the actual drug delivery system worth, especially when it is enabled to show right and wrong in terms of operation? With that in mind, manufacturers of injectable drugs can greatly benefit from offering this level of patient education, the article reads.

        The business and the health industries dont always share common ground. But in this case, analyzing big data does. We dont have health care in our name (business analytics), but this is a tool that you can use anywhere, Rao said. Clinicians have their training ailment detection. But they are not necessarily trained in analyzing the results of the market research. Thats where somebody with this kind of training comes in.