Challenge
Non-adherence to prescribed treatments is a major health challenge in the EU, contributing to approximately 200,000 premature deaths and over €125 billion in avoidable healthcare costs annually. Despite existing tools like reminder apps, adherence often remains limited to around 50% and varies across diseases and patient groups. The core challenge is the absence of a standardized, disease-agnostic model that integrates behavioural, clinical, and real-world data to identify actionable drivers of adherence, segment patient populations according to support needs, and inform targeted interventions.
Solutions
BEAMER (BEhavioral and Adherence Model for improving quality, health outcomes and cost-Effectiveness of healthcaRe) is a five-year initiative. It is coordinated by Universidad Politécnica de Madrid, Pfizer and Merck KGaA, which lead the consortium and supported by 27–28 partners from academia, industry, and civil society. The project targets the development of a validated, computational model using AI, NLP, and machine learning, grounded in ontology and real-world evidence. It will be tested in 18 real-life pilots across six thematic areas. Outputs include a searchable open-source database, persona development for key stakeholders, and detailed implementation insights led by Empirica.
Results
The BEAMER model is expected to enable patient segmentation, supporting healthcare stakeholders in delivering cost-effective, personalized interventions. Through structured deployment and pilot validation, BEAMER aims to enhance patient understanding, reduce premature treatment discontinuation, limit hospitalizations and protocol deviations in clinical trials, and optimize real-world health outcomes. Its open database and adherence intelligence visualization platform will empower health systems, pharma companies, and digital health developers to build effective, tailored adherence solutions, contributing to improved quality of life, better system sustainability, and a reduction in avoidable healthcare costs across Europe.