One-Year Grants Designed to Identify Ways to Rapidly Spread Technologies

That Can Reduce $290 Billion in Non-Adherence and

$47 Billion in Drug-Related Hospitalizations Annually in U.S.

OAKLAND, Calif. - The Center for Technology and Aging today released grant application guidelines for a $500,000 Medication Optimization Diffusion Grants Program. Up to six one-year grants will be made to organizations successfully proposing programs that directly benefit older adults. Four or five grants will focus on Californians, while one or two may benefit older adults in other regions of the U.S.

"Medication-related errors are taking a terrible toll on the health and lives of older adults," said David Lindeman, PhD, director of the Center for Technology and Aging. "Of the three billion medication prescriptions issued each year in the U.S., 12% are never picked up by the patient and 40% are not taken correctly. Additionally, older adults too often receive duplicate prescriptions or prescriptions that have not been safety-checked for drug interactions. And, yet effective tools and technologies already exist to greatly reduce these problems."

Medication optimization refers to a wide variety of technologies designed to help manage medication information, dispensing, adherence and tracking. Medication optimization technologies are particularly applicable for the elderly and people with chronic illness or complicated medication regimens, and can help avoid or delay a move from the home or community-based setting that an older adult prefers.

"Ultimately, medication optimization technologies can lead to significant improvements in the cost and quality of care for older adults." said Lindeman.

Programs eligible for grants must use technologies that are ready to be used more broadly. Grantees will be expected to have prior experience with medication optimization technologies and will need to demonstrate a positive and measurable impact in the near term, including reducing the likelihood that older adults will be moved to more intensive, high-cost care settings. Most importantly, programs receiving grants will need to propose a strategy for successfully integrating their technology into the fabric of state and national health care delivery and reimbursement systems.

The deadline for interested organizations to submit Letters of Intent is Midnight PST, Friday, October 2, 2009. Applicants will be notified of their selection to submit a full proposal by October 14, 2009. The anticipated start date for grants is January 1, 2010. Application information is available for download at www.techandaging.org/medopgrant.pdf or at www.techandaging.org.

In August the Center released "Technologies To Help Older Adults Maintain Independence: Advancing Technology Adoption," a briefing paper that describes seven technology areas with significant potential of improving chronic health care and increasing the independence of older adults, while reducing health care costs. The briefing paper is available for free download at www.techandaging.org/briefingpaper.pdf.

The Center for Technology and Aging (http://www.techandaging.org) is devoted to helping California and the nation more rapidly implement technologies that improve home and community-based care for older adults. Through research, grants, public policy involvement, and development of practical implementation tools, the Center serves as a resource for all those seeking to improve the quality and cost-effectiveness of long-term care services. It was established in 2009 with a generous grant from The SCAN Foundation (www.thescanfoundation.org) and is located at the Public Health Institute (http://www.phi.org) in Oakland, CA.