Your Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ): General Questions
What is MedsManager?
MedsManager allows people to forecast when important medications and supplies should be replaced or refilled. It also offers convenient access to public data about their medication regimens, and allows people to send themselves electronic reminders about refills (optional), in multiple languages.
How do I use MedsManager?
MedsManager's core function is to help determine when your medications or supplies will need to be refilled or replaced. It does this by using information you provide on your items -- like how many you have and how often you take them.
The software can provide additional services, like identifying stray pills, and creating dosing guidance for caregivers, based on the descriptions and schedule information you provide. In a sense, like so many things in our world, you'll get out of it what you put into it.
Is MedsManager available in languages other than English?
Yes! MedsManager is being introduced for the United States in English and in Spanish, with a capability for translation into other languages in the future. A person may select which language to use from the menu.
Is MedsManager affiliated with a specific pharmacy?
No. MedsManager is not connected with any specific pharmacy or healthcare provider, so it may be used to track any important health item you may have.
Does MedsManager require an Internet connection?
Yes, at least initially. The MedsManager software is delivered via download from the Internet, and must contact a licensing server for download of its license key. The core functionality does not require connection to the Internet, but without it, you would not be able to send yourself summary emails and reminders, nor provide feedback to us through the software.
Is support available for MedsManager?
VICTORY Codeworks is happy to answer questions you have about the MedsManager software, and will work to resolve any software problems. VICTORY is NOT a healthcare provider, and is prohibited from engaging in any discourse regarding healthcare matters.
Where was MedsManager made?
VICTORY Codeworks is an American company founded in Dallas, Texas. MedsManager was developed entirely in Dallas, TX, USA.
Does MedsManager translate among languages in real-time?
A person can switch among available languages in real time, but translations are currently only performed on a specific set of words and phrases. This may change in future software versions.
Is MedsManager affiliated with the National Institutes of Health?
MedsManager currently includes links to public health information hosted by the has National Institutes of Health (NIH). Neither MedsManager nor VICTORY Codeworks have any affiliation with the NIH. VICTORY Codeworks is not responsible for NIH content, which may change at any time.
What are the Impact Goals for MedsManager?
Medication regimen nonadherence is a huge problem in the United States -- and an even greater problem for non-English speaking Latinos with limited access to medical guidance in their native tongue. We hope to improve adherence to prescription medication therapies and increase health literacy among patients and care providers, esp. Latinos with low English proficiency. We plan to measure goal progress through metadata collection and occasional surveys.
FAQ: Terminology
What is medication therapy/a medication regimen?
Medication therapy refers to a course of treatment prescribed to a patient by a doctor or other competent medical professional using medication to address a particular medical condition. Medication regimen refers to the medicines and supplies involved in that therapy. A person may have different therapies for different conditions (e.g., one for high blood pressure, one for heart disease, et cetera).
What is health literacy?
Health literacy is knowledge about how to care for one's health. Measures of health literacy commonly include knowledge of basic first aid, nutrition, exercise, and sleep; patients on chronic medication therapies can (and should!) learn about their medications -- how they work, what to avoid while taking them, and so on.
What is noncompliance?
Medication therapy noncompliance is simply the act of not doing what the doctor told you to do. Not taking your prescribed medications is a common form of noncompliance.
Noncompliance is not necessarily within the patient's control. There are many reasons for noncompliance, including disagreement with the diagnosis or therapy, simply forgetting to take the medication, inability to afford the medication, and other cultural factors.
Noncompliance is a huge problem in the United States, particularly among the elderly. Noncompliance also contributes to rising healthcare costs.
What is PHI?
PHI stands for Protected Health Information. In the United States, PHI is a special class of personal information which is afforded special protections, and warrants special safeguarding in accordance with federal law. ePHI is Protected Health Information in electronic form.
What is a BAA?
BAA stands for Business Associate Agreement. It is a formal arrangement between a covered entity and a provider of PHI-related services, defining in part how such services will be provided with respect to the sensitive information involved.
VICTORY Codeworks has a BAA in place with its hosting provider for special HIPAA-compliant email security protections for MedsManager.
FAQ: What MedsManager Isn't
Is MedsManager a Pill Reminder App?
No. MedsManager protects your health by forecasting when your prescriptions and other important supplies must be filled, so they are always on hand. It is not intended to remind you to take your daily medications.
Will MedsManager refill my prescriptions for me?
No. MedsManager Personal Edition cannot connect with a pharmacy to refill your prescriptions. Plenty of pharmacies have apps that will do that for you (for the items you get from them), but they won't necessarily advise on when refills are needed -- that's the part MedsManager handles for you.
Will MedsManager contact my doctor for me?
MedsManager Personal Edition cannot exchange information with anyone about your medication therapies, but you may indicate whether no refills will be allowed on specific items, which will trigger special messages to remind you. You may also enter private notes for each of your items to remind yourself to contact your doctor in advance of depletion.
Is MedsManager a mobile phone app?
No, because privacy of your health information is our #1 concern. MedsManager will first enter the market as software that runs on Microsoft® Windows® devices, like common PCs, laptops, and Surface® tablets. Data on these devices remains encrypted at rest by device and cannot be decrypted on any other device.
Is MedsManager a Web app?
No. In creating an application involving electronic Protected Health Information (ePHI), great emphasis was placed on the security of the data it was designed to handle. MedsManager was designed for the desktop, not the Web, with the safety and security of your ePHI of primary concern. Web applications work by exchanging data with servers over the Internet. As a desktop application, there is no such data exchange is required.
Will MedsManager track my cycle?
No, but you can use MedsManager to monitor your contraceptive supplies just like any other health related item. All of your health data remains completely private and cannot be viewed or tampered with in any way.
FAQ: Data Protection
Is my health data protected?
Absolutely. Your health and settings data are encrypted when you are not using them in MedsManager. Your data remains 100% in your custody, on the device where MedsManager is installed. It is fully encrypted when not in use, and cannot be transferred and decrypted elsewhere.
Can I perform backups of my MedsManager data?
Yes! MedsManager has a backup and restore feature which allows you to run backups of your data and store them. The software exports and encrypts your data, and restoration imports and decrypts the files.
Can MedsManager backups be restored onto another machine?
No. In the interest of security, our .med files are encrypted using data unique to your device. You may not encrypt them on one machine and decrypt them on another.
Is MedsManager password-protected?
If MedsManager is installed on a Windows computer by an account that does not have a password, MedsManager will require a password be set for the application. Accounts that have passwords have the option of setting an application password at any time.
Does MedsManager have a timeout feature?
Yes! If MedsManager has a password set, it will monitor your computer for inactivity while MedsManager is running. If you're away from your computer for a short period while MedsManager is on screen, the program windows will hide and a login prompt will appear. Simply type in the password you set to restore the program.
Is MedsManager's email secure?
Yes! MedsManager's email service has advanced security measures in place, is HIPAA COMPLIANT, and powered by Microsoft. (VICTORY Codeworks has a Business Associate Agreement in place with its service provider).
This email capability exists only to allow you to transmit certain information about the supply of items you monitor in MedsManager. Within a given message's content, any PHI would be found in the association of the addressee (you) with any listed items that have been prescribed to you. It is for this reason MedsManager uses such a highly protected means of transmission.
How can I protect my information?
MedsManager encrypts your settings and health data when not actively in use, but there are still some simple things you can do to help ensure your information remains private.
- Never share your computer account credentials with anyone else.
- Don't loan your computer to anyone. Especially if you don't have to log in to use it.
- Add a password to the application, even if your computer account is already password-protected.
- Change your password periodically, especially if you suspect others have accessed your computer or watched you use MedsManager.
- Be sure to use MedsManager in private, so others can't easily read your screen.
- Never give or send any health or medication information to anyone you don't know and doesn't need to know.
- Be careful about how you dispose of empty medication containers. Remove your prescription information before you recycle, so people can't discover what's in your medicine cabinet.