Uplift in Adherence: MARS-5 Questionnaire Results Demonstrate the Positive Impact of MyTherapy Across Indications

Results from validated adherence questionnaires conducted among MyTherapy users show the positive impact of the app across medication classes. Read how this positive impact delivers value to patients and pharma alike

Dan Brown Mar 06, 2024

Dan is a journalism graduate from the UK. He aims to make the complex topic of digital healthcare accessible for both patients and experts, using simple and concise language.

View Dan Brown’s posts

Results from MyTherapy users who completed the Medication Adherence Report Scale (MARS-5) questionnaire demonstrate an uplift in self-reported adherence across ATC codes, demonstrating the positive impact that can be achieved across indications medication classes. Read how these results reflect the real-world impact of the MyTherapy app and demonstrate how pharma can provide adherence support for specific patient populations via the MyTherapy platform.

The Results: Demonstrating the Positive Impact of MyTherapy

The MARS-5 questionnaire is a 5-question survey designed to accurately reflect respondents’ habits regarding medication adherence, with the nature of the questions carefully crafted on the back of decades of research. The questionnaire has been used for research and academic purposes across a range of therapeutic areas; its integration within the MyTherapy app represents a unique opportunity to gain widespread insights in a real-world setting.

Click the image above to speak to us about MyTherapy adherence data

Since introducing the MARS-5 questionnaire into MyTherapy, we have been conducting surveys among different patient populations to better understand patients’ adherence habits and the impact the app has across demographics over time. Users are prompted to complete the questionnaire in the first days of using the app and then again at 28-day intervals.

Overall, the percentage of people who recorded the maximum score of 25, the score we consider necessary to be labeled ‘highly adherent,’ increased by 29.8% between the first and second surveys and by a further 7.3% between surveys two and three.

When broken down by level 1 ATC codes, an increase of 51.4% between surveys one and three was observed in ATC code N – which includes drugs for treating diseases of the nervous system.

The greatest increase was observed in ATC code C – drugs for treating diseases of the cardiovascular system – with an increase of 45.5% between surveys one and three.

An increase of at least 20.7% was observed in all nine ATC codes for which there were at least 50 respondents, including drugs for treating diseases of the respiratory system; Musculoskeletal system; and alimentary tract and metabolism.

How Pharma Can Leverage the Positive Impact of MyTherapy

The results of the MARS-5 questionnaires demonstrate the positive impact of MyTherapy across a broad patient population.

Furthermore, they reinforce the value pharma can generate by running digital patient services upon the MyTherapy platform, including adherence support. This is done by using the MyTherapy app as the foundation for custom programs that can be accessed by specific patient populations, such as those prescribed certain medications.

Depending on the identified barriers to adherence among the patient population, custom modules can be activated that run upon the MyTherapy platform to provide patients with the most relevant support.

This means that patients benefit from all of the regular features of MyTherapy, along with additional features that support their daily treatment needs. Features can include onboarding support, tailored content, and automated regimen setup. Furthermore, such programs can be integrated with other channels that exist within pharma’s patient support ecosystems.

Custom survey integration and support for validated adherence questionnaires, such as MARS-5, can be used to generate real-world evidence to help demonstrate the positive impact of the program and other patient-generated feedback.

Join the World’s Leading Pharma Companies in Building on MyTherapy

We work with major pharma companies, including Merck, Novartis, and Pfizer, to deliver digital patient services on the MyTherapy platform. We run programs across a range of therapeutic areas and in markets around the world.

The MyTherapy platform has undergone over a decade of iterative improvements, with the underlying aim of supporting any patient taking regular medications.

The modules that can be activated to run on the platform as part of a tailored adherence support program have, likewise, been developed and iterated upon to meet the specific requirements of pharma partners and their patient populations.

The integration of custom surveys and validated adherence questionnaires now means that pharma can validate the impact of these programs. This can not only be used to demonstrate the benefits to patient outcomes through improved adherence, but it can also help clarify pharma’s business case for patient support.

If you want to learn more about the MyTherapy platform and discuss how to deliver adherence support to your patients, click here to book a meeting.