Method for monitoring drug therapy adherence using automated analysis of pharmacy transactions

Abstract

FIELD: medical information technology.SUBSTANCE: method for monitoring compliance with drug therapy using automatic analysis of pharmacy transactions. A proposed method is implemented through a digital platform and includes the registration of doctors and patients using individual identification codes, and the creation by doctors of adaptable questionnaires that patients complete at different stages of treatment. The platform displays the patient's condition dynamics to the physician and provides an analysis of the compliance of purchased medications with the prescribed composition, dosage, and timing. Information about the purchase is received by the system through scanning of cash receipts or automatically from the pharmacy chain. In case of deviations from the course of treatment, the doctor is notified. Patients receive a partial refund of the cost of medications provided they follow the recommendations.EFFECT: invention improves the reliability of drug therapy through automated monitoring of the patient's condition dynamics using adaptable questionnaires created taking into account the specific disease and stage of therapy.2 cl

Description

[0001] Technical result

[0002] Improving the effectiveness of drug therapy through automated monitoring of the patient's condition using adaptable questionnaires tailored to the specific disease and stage of therapy

[0003] Disclosure of invention

[0004] The invention relates to the field of medical information technology, namely digital monitoring of the course of drug therapy, and can be used in systems of remote medical monitoring, pharmacovigilance and digital health.

[0005] The invention aims to improve the effectiveness of drug therapy through automated monitoring of patient condition and assessment of compliance, achieved through the analysis of pharmacy transactions and the use of adaptable questionnaires generated by the physician based on the diagnosis and treatment stage. The claimed method involves registering physicians and patients on a digital platform using QR codes, physicians generating adaptable questionnaires from an approved set of questions, patients submitting and completing the questionnaires, and automatically assessing the patient's condition using a digital scale. The resulting data is displayed to the physician, visualizing the patient's condition before, during, and after therapy.Patients can search for and reserve prescribed medications in pharmacies, and the system records the purchase either by scanning the receipt or by tracking the purchase within the pharmacy chain. This transaction data is automatically compared with medical prescriptions for composition, dosage, and timing, allowing the system to determine compliance with therapy, identify deviations, and, if necessary, notify the physician.

[0006] Technical level

[0007] Various digital systems and platforms for monitoring patient conditions, facilitating interactions with physicians, and partially overseeing prescription compliance are known in the prior art. Specifically, patent US20190018932A1 (Consumption Advisory Computing System and Method) describes a system for analyzing transaction data obtained from a payment network and comparing it with product and drug data. The system provides healthcare providers with summarized reports on patient consumption behavior, including information on purchased medications. It also includes the ability to generate personalized recommendations.

[0008] Patient-controlled electronic medical record system (US20150324525A1) also describes a personalized electronic medical record system that allows for patient and physician registration, medical data upload, patient self-completion of forms and questionnaires, and the transmission of information to healthcare providers. Certain system components allow physicians to access questionnaire results or medical documents.

[0009] However, existing solutions have significant drawbacks, including the lack of personalized, stage-by-stage questionnaires generated by the physician. These systems lack questionnaires or use generalized forms that are independent of the stage of therapy, diagnosis, or clinical features. Questionnaires are not integrated into the physician's prescription structure and do not allow for dynamic monitoring of the patient's condition before, during, and after therapy. The solutions covered by patents US20190018932A1 and US20150324525A1 do not implement a mechanism for evaluating patient responses by calculating scores on scales and visualizing the dynamics in the form of a deviation timeline. The physician does not receive systematized information about changes in the patient's condition during therapy. Existing platforms do not link treatment adherence to a reward system, such as partial refunds for purchased medications, which reduces patient compliance.The proposed invention eliminates the above-mentioned shortcomings by providing automated comparison of pharmacy transactions with parameters of doctor's prescriptions, analysis of the dynamics of the patient's condition using adaptive questionnaires, and informing the doctor with visualization of key indicators, which together allows for increasing the clinical effectiveness of therapy.

[0010] Disclosure of invention

[0011] The proposed invention relates to the field of medical information technology, specifically to digital means of monitoring patient compliance with prescribed medication. It can be used in remote medical monitoring systems, pharmacovigilance systems, and digital medical platforms that ensure compliance with medical prescriptions.

[0012] The objective of the invention is to improve the effectiveness of drug therapy through automated monitoring of the patient's condition and assessment of their compliance with the prescribed treatment course. This result is achieved through the implementation of a method that includes comparing pharmacy transaction data with prescription parameters, using adaptable questionnaires created by the physician based on the diagnosis and treatment stage, visualizing the patient's condition dynamics, and alerting the physician to critical deviations.

[0013] Implementation of the invention

[0014] The proposed method is implemented using a digital platform consisting of a server-side component, a mobile app, and a chatbot. The platform is hosted in a cloud infrastructure and operates using PHP and Python (backend) and Flutter (mobile app). User and medical data are protected via HTTPS and, if necessary, by cryptographic data protection tools (e.g., ViPNet).

[0015] 1. Doctor registration in the system using system-generated identification codes. Doctor registration occurs after access approval by the platform operator, usually through a representative providing a personal digital code or QR code. The code is generated automatically using the QR timestamp data. It consists of a hash, date, and time stamp, preventing its duplication. The code is valid only once, cannot be reproduced, and serves as a unique identifier for the "doctor" user. Once activated, the doctor gains access to the personal account functionality.

[0016] 2. Physicians create customized questionnaires. Physicians select questionnaires from pre-prepared templates specific to a specific nosology. These templates are developed with the participation of appropriately qualified medical specialists, often as part of initiatives by pharmaceutical companies or specialized medical societies.

[0017] Each questionnaire contains blocks of questions divided into stages of therapy: before, during, and after. Questions can have various formats:

[0018] - scale (for example, pain assessment from 0 to 10);

[0019] - choice from options (multiple or single choice);

[0020] - text fields (open answers);

[0021] - formal signs (presence of a symptom, assessment of dynamics, etc.).

[0022] Responses in the system are linked to a scoring algorithm. For example, each answer option is assigned a weight, and the final questionnaire score is calculated as a sum or weighted average. Formulas and scales are developed in collaboration with specialized physicians. All data is stored on the server linked to the patient profile, in JSON format or another structure, with the ability to select by fields and dates.

[0023] 3. Patient registration in the system using codes. Patients register in the system by scanning a one-time QR code displayed on the doctor's device screen or by entering a digital code issued by the doctor. This action confirms the in-person visit and ensures the patient is assigned to the doctor and the prescribed course of treatment. Code reuse is prohibited. After registration, the patient has access to a customized questionnaire and a list of recommended medications specified by the doctor.

[0024] 4. Activating questionnaires, completing them, and transmitting the answers to the doctor. After activating the questionnaire (for the corresponding stage of therapy), the patient answers the questions sequentially. Completion can be done via a mobile app or chatbot.

[0025] The questionnaire activation algorithm is as follows:

[0026] - if there is no confirmed drug purchase transaction - the stage before the start of therapy;

[0027] - if the transaction is confirmed, but the treatment period is not completed - the stage is in progress;

[0028] - if the course of therapy is completed (by time or structure) - the stage after completion.

[0029] Upon completion of the survey, the system automatically calculates the final score and transmits it to the doctor in the form of:

[0030] - numerical value;

[0031] - dynamic timeline;

[0032] - color marking of deviations.

[0033] 5. Patient scans a QR code linked to a medication list and makes a reservation. After their visit, the patient can click a link or scan a QR code containing a list of prescribed medications. The system allows for searching for pharmacies where the desired medication is available, making a reservation with status tracking (including API connection to the pharmacy network), and manually adding medications based on the prescription. When searching for pharmacies, the patient is shown the prices of the prescribed medications.

[0034] 6. Monitoring the purchase and administration of medications. The platform receives purchase data by scanning the QR code on the receipt, which is verified against the tax service database or through the pharmacy API (in the case of reservations and redemptions).

[0035] The system compares the drug name / SKU, dosage, dosage form, frequency, quantity, and purchase date. If a discrepancy is detected (e.g., a different active ingredient, incorrect dosage, or purchase after the recommended date), the platform classifies it as a deviation.

[0036] 7. Accrual of partial refund of drug cost to the patient (incentive)

[0037] If a patient has purchased all prescribed medications within the recommended timeframe and confirmed this (via receipt or API), the system automatically generates a partial refund (cashback). Payment can be made through third-party services or internal bonus points, which serves as an incentive for adherence to therapy.

[0038] 8. Providing the physician with information on therapy compliance

[0039] The doctor receives summary data on the purchase or non-purchase of drugs, on the compliance of the composition, dosage and timing, on the patient's current condition according to questionnaires, on deviations (classification by type) and on risks (in the future - based on the results of behavioral analysis).

[0040] 9. Automatic notification to the physician about treatment interruption or failure to start. If the patient has not activated the questionnaire, has not purchased medications, or has violated recommendations, the system generates a notification to the physician. The sensitivity threshold can be set manually or use default values. Notifications are sent to the physician's interface, by email, or to a chatbot.

[0041] Thus, the claimed method enables the implementation of a full cycle of monitoring patient compliance with prescribed medication therapy—from the moment of prescription to the assessment of patient progress. By automatically comparing pharmacy transaction data with prescription parameters, as well as using adaptable questionnaires tailored to the diagnosis and treatment stage, the technical result is achieved by increasing the effectiveness of medication therapy by monitoring compliance and patient progress. Implementation of the method through a digital platform with support for interactive forms of interaction, visualization, and alerts enables timely detection of deviations and prompt adjustment of the treatment plan.

Claims

1. A method for monitoring compliance with drug therapy using automated analysis of pharmacy transactions, carried out using a digital platform, which consists in sequentially - register a doctor in the digital platform using an identification code generated by the digital platform; - create a prescribed course of drug therapy in the doctor’s personal account, including at least a list of recommended drugs and parameters of doctor’s prescriptions, containing the identification data of the drug, dosage, quantity of the drug and the time of purchase; - an adaptable questionnaire is formed from a set of pre-approved questions for the relevant disease, and the questions of the adaptable questionnaire are distributed among stages; - register the patient in the digital platform by processing the identification code issued from the doctor's personal account, linking the patient to the doctor, the prescribed course of drug therapy and an adaptable questionnaire; - monitor the receipt of digital data confirming the patient’s purchase of recommended medications; - upon receipt of the specified digital data, they are automatically compared with the parameters of the doctor's prescriptions based on the identification data of the drug, dosage, quantity of the drug and the time of acquisition, identifying any deviations; - determine the current state of the course of drug therapy based on the result of the specified comparison and the duration of the prescribed course of drug therapy, after which activate the stage of the adaptable questionnaire corresponding to the specific current state of the course of drug therapy; - receive answers from the patient to the questions of the activated stage of the adaptable questionnaire; - automatically calculate scores based on patient responses; - form the results of monitoring compliance with drug therapy based on the deviations identified by comparing digital data confirming the purchase of recommended drugs with the parameters of doctor's prescriptions and the calculated scores based on the patient's responses; - display to the doctor the dynamics of the patient’s treatment and the results of monitoring compliance with drug therapy; - generate a notification to the doctor when a deviation from the doctor’s orders is detected.

2. The method according to paragraph 1, characterized in that during the automatic calculation of points based on the patient’s responses, a weighting coefficient is assigned to each assessed response, the final score for the activated stage of the adaptable questionnaire is calculated on the basis of the weighting coefficients of the assessed responses, and the dynamics of the treatment progress are visualized in the form of a time scale.