Skip to main content
Key Specialties
Cardiology Diabetology Endocrinology Gastroenterology Geriatrics and Gerontology Gynecology and Obstetrics Hematology Infectious Disease Internal Medicine Nephrology Neurology Oncology Pediatrics Respiratory Medicine Rheumatology Surgery
Congress Coverage
2024 ACC Congress 2023 ESMO Congress 2023 EASD Congress 2023 ERS Congress 2023 ESC Congress
Clinical Collections
Advances in Alzheimer’s

Keynote webinar | Spotlight on medication adherence

LIVE: Thursday 27th June 2024, 18:00-19:30 (CEST)
Join our expert panel to discover why you need to understand the drivers of non-adherence in your patients, and how you can optimize medication adherence in your clinics to drastically improve patient outcomes.
ADVANCED SEARCH
Log in
Top
BMC Medical Informatics and Decision Making
Published in: BMC Medical Informatics and Decision Making 1/2013

Open Access 01-12-2013 | Research article

Effects of and satisfaction with short message service reminders for patient medication adherence: a randomized controlled study

Authors: Hsiu-Ling Huang, Yu-Chuan Jack Li, Yueh-Ching Chou, Yow-Wen Hsieh, Frank Kuo, Wen-Chen Tsai, Sinkuo Daniel Chai, Blossom Yen-Ju Lin, Pei-Tseng Kung, Chia-Jung Chuang

Published in: BMC Medical Informatics and Decision Making | Issue 1/2013

Login to get access

Abstract

Background

Medication adherence is critical for patient treatment. This study involved evaluating how implementing Short Message Service (SMS) reminders affected patient medication adherence and related factors.

Methods

We used a structured questionnaire to survey outpatients at three medical centers. Patients aged 20 years and older who were prescribed more than 7 days of a prescription medication were randomized into SMS intervention or control groups. The intervention group received daily messages reminding them of aspects regarding taking their medication; the control group received no messages. A phone follow-up was performed to assess outcomes after 8 days. Data were collected from 763 participants in the intervention group and 435 participants in the control group.

Results

After participants in the intervention group received SMS reminders to take medication or those in the control group received no messages, incidences of delayed doses were decreased by 46.4 and 78.8% for those in the control and intervention groups, respectively. The rate of missed doses was decreased by 90.1% for participants in the intervention group and 61.1% for those in the control group. We applied logistic regression analysis and determined that participants in the intervention group had a 3.2-fold higher probability of having a decrease in delayed doses compared with participants in the control group. Participants in the intervention group also showed a 2.2-fold higher probability of having a decrease in missed doses compared with participants in the control group.

Conclusions

Use of SMS significantly affected the rates of taking medicine on schedule. Therefore, daily SMS could be useful for reminding patients to take their medicine on schedule.
Appendix
Available only for authorised users
Literature
1.
Simpson SH, Eurich DT, Majumdar SR, Padwal RS, Tsuyuki RT, Varney J, Johnson JA: A meta-analysis of the association between adherence to drug therapy and mortality. BMJ. 2006, 333 (7557): 15-10.1136/bmj.38875.675486.55.CrossRefPubMedPubMedCentral
2.
WHO: Adherence to long-term therapies. 2003, Geneva: Organisation wH
3.
Julius RJ, Novitsky MA, Dubin WR: Medication adherence: a review of the literature and implications for clinical practice. J Psychiatr Pract. 2009, 15 (1): 34-44. 10.1097/01.pra.0000344917.43780.77.CrossRefPubMed
4.
McDonald HP, Garg AX, Haynes RB: Interventions to enhance patient adherence to medication prescriptions: scientific review. JAMA. 2002, 288 (22): 2868-2879. 10.1001/jama.288.22.2868.CrossRefPubMed
5.
Norris SL, Nichols PJ, Caspersen CJ, Glasgow RE, Engelgau MM, Jack L, Isham G, Snyder SR, Carande-Kulis VG, Garfield S: The effectiveness of disease and case management for people with diabetes: a systematic review. Am J Prev Med. 2002, 22 (4): 15-38. 10.1016/S0749-3797(02)00423-3.CrossRefPubMed
6.
Gentles SJ, Lokker C, McKibbon KA: Health information technology to facilitate communication involving health care providers, caregivers, and pediatric patients: a scoping review. J Med Internet Res. 2010, 12 (2): e22-10.2196/jmir.1390.CrossRefPubMedPubMedCentral
7.
Cocosila M, Archer N, Brian Haynes R, Yuan Y: Can wireless text messaging improve adherence to preventive activities? Results of a randomised controlled trial. Int J Med Inform. 2009, 78 (4): 230-238. 10.1016/j.ijmedinf.2008.07.011.CrossRefPubMed
8.
da Costa TM, Barbosa BJP, Sigulem D, de Fátima MH, Pisa IT: Results of a randomized controlled trial to assess the effects of a mobile SMS-based intervention on treatment adherence in HIV/AIDS-infected Brazilian women and impressions and satisfaction with respect to incoming messages. Int J Med Inform. 2012, 81 (4): 257-269. 10.1016/j.ijmedinf.2011.10.002.CrossRefPubMedPubMedCentral
9.
Vervloet M, Linn AJ, van Weert JC, de Bakker DH, Bouvy ML, van Dijk L: The effectiveness of interventions using electronic reminders to improve adherence to chronic medication: a systematic review of the literature. J Am Med Inform Assoc. 2012, 19 (5): 696-704. 10.1136/amiajnl-2011-000748.CrossRefPubMedPubMedCentral
10.
Lester RT, Ritvo P, Mills EJ, Kariri A, Karanja S, Chung MH, Jack W, Habyarimana J, Sadatsafavi M, Najafzadeh M: Effects of a mobile phone short message service on antiretroviral treatment adherence in Kenya (WelTel Kenya1): a randomised trial. Lancet. 2010, 376 (9755): 1838-1845. 10.1016/S0140-6736(10)61997-6.CrossRefPubMed
11.
Suffoletto B, Calabria J, Ross A, Callaway C, Yealy DM: A mobile phone text message program to measure oral antibiotic use and provide feedback on adherence to patients discharged from the emergency department. Acad Emerg Med. 2012, 19 (8): 949-958. 10.1111/j.1553-2712.2012.01411.x.CrossRefPubMed
12.
Zygmunt A, Olfson M, Boyer CA, Mechanic D: Interventions to improve medication adherence in schizophrenia. Am J Psychiatry. 2002, 159 (10): 1653-1664. 10.1176/appi.ajp.159.10.1653.CrossRefPubMed
13.
Strandbygaard U, Thomsen SF, Backer V: A daily SMS reminder increases adherence to asthma treatment: a three-month follow-up study. Respir Med. 2010, 104 (2): 166-171. 10.1016/j.rmed.2009.10.003.CrossRefPubMed
14.
Jones G, Hawkins K, Mullin R, Nepusz T, Naughton DP, Sheeran P, Petroczi A: Understanding how adherence goals promote adherence behaviours: a repeated measure observational study with HIV seropositive patients. BMC Public Health. 2012, 12: 587-10.1186/1471-2458-12-587.CrossRefPubMedPubMedCentral
15.
Vervloet M, van Dijk L, Santen-Reestman J, Van Vlijmen B, Van Wingerden P, Bouvy ML, de Bakker DH: SMS reminders improve adherence to oral medication in type 2 diabetes patients who are real time electronically monitored. Int J Med Inform. 2012, 81 (9): 594-604. 10.1016/j.ijmedinf.2012.05.005.CrossRefPubMed
16.
Hanauer DA, Wentzell K, Laffel N, Laffel LM: Computerized Automated Reminder Diabetes System (CARDS): e-mail and SMS cell phone text messaging reminders to support diabetes management. Diabetes Technol Therap. 2009, 11 (2): 99-106. 10.1089/dia.2008.0022.CrossRef
17.
Vähätalo M, Virtamo H, Viikari J, Rönnemaa T: Cellular phone transferred self blood glucose monitoring: prerequisites for positive outcome. Pract Diabetes Int. 2004, 21 (5): 192-194. 10.1002/pdi.642.CrossRef
18.
Ollivier L, Romand O, Marimoutou C, Michel R, Pognant C, Todesco A, Migliani R, Baudon D, Boutin J-P: Use of short message service (SMS) to improve malaria chemoprophylaxis compliance after returning from a malaria endemic area. Malar J. 2009, 8 (236): 1475-2875.
19.
Yu-Pei Lin Y-HH, Yi-Ching Y, Jin-Shang W, Chih-Jen C, Feng-Hwa L: Adherence to antihypertensive medications among the elderly: a community-based survey in Tainan City, Southern Taiwan. Taiwan Geriatr Gerontol. 2007, 2 (3): 176-189.
20.
Banning M: A review of interventions used to improve adherence with medication in older people. Int J Nurs Stud. 2009, 46 (11): 1505-1515. 10.1016/j.ijnurstu.2009.03.011.CrossRefPubMed
21.
Haynes RB AE, Ackloo E, Sahota N, McDonald HP, Yao X: Interventions for enhancing medication adherence. Cochrane Database Syst Rev. 2008, 2: 2-
22.
Krampera M, Venturini F, Benedetti F, Oliani A, Carolei S, Visco C, Aqel H, Pizzolo G, Scroccaro G: Computer-based drug management in a bone marrow transplant unit: a suitable tool for multiple prescriptions even in critical conditions. Br J Haematol. 2004, 125 (1): 50-57. 10.1111/j.1365-2141.2004.04855.x.CrossRefPubMed
23.
Lee F, Teich JM, Spurr CD, Bates DW: Implementation of physician order entry: user satisfaction and self-reported usage patterns. J Am Med Inform Assoc. 1996, 3 (1): 42-55. 10.1136/jamia.1996.96342648.CrossRefPubMedPubMedCentral
24.
25.
Wilson JP, Bulatao PT, Rascati KL: Satisfaction with a computerized practitioner order-entry system at two military health care facilities. Am J Health Syst Pharm. 2000, 57 (23): 2188-2195.PubMed
26.
Leroux J, Rizzo JA, Sickles R: The role of self-reporting bias in health, mental health and labor force participation: a descriptive analysis. Empir Econ. 2012, 43 (2): 525-536. 10.1007/s00181-010-0434-z.CrossRef
27.
Harrison L: The validity of self-reported drug use in survey research: an overview and critique of research methods. NIDA Res Monogr. 1997, 167: 17-36.PubMed
28.
Da Costa TM, Salomão PL, Martha AS, Pisa IT, Sigulem D: The impact of short message service text messages sent as appointment reminders to patients’ cell phones at outpatient clinics in Sao Paulo, Brazil. Int J Med Inform. 2010, 79 (1): 65-70. 10.1016/j.ijmedinf.2009.09.001.CrossRefPubMed
29.
Geraghty M, Glynn F, Amin M, Kinsella J: Patient mobile telephone ‘text’reminder: a novel way to reduce non-attendance at the ENT out-patient clinic. J Laryngol Otol. 2008, 122 (03): 296-298.CrossRefPubMed
Metadata
Title
Effects of and satisfaction with short message service reminders for patient medication adherence: a randomized controlled study
Authors
Hsiu-Ling Huang
Yu-Chuan Jack Li
Yueh-Ching Chou
Yow-Wen Hsieh
Frank Kuo
Wen-Chen Tsai
Sinkuo Daniel Chai
Blossom Yen-Ju Lin
Pei-Tseng Kung
Chia-Jung Chuang
Publication date
01-12-2013
Publisher
BioMed Central
Published in
BMC Medical Informatics and Decision Making / Issue 1/2013
Electronic ISSN: 1472-6947
DOI
https://doi.org/10.1186/1472-6947-13-127

Other articles of this Issue 1/2013

BMC Medical Informatics and Decision Making 1/2013 Go to the issue

Research article

Factors of accepting pain management decision support systems by nurse anesthetists

Debate

Ancillary study management systems: a review of needs

Study protocol

Person-centred web-based support - development through a Swedish multi-case study

Research article

Increasing utilization of Internet-based resources following efforts to promote evidence-based medicine: a national study in Taiwan

Research article

An analysis of online health information on schizophrenia or related conditions: a cross-sectional survey

Study protocol

A tailored, dialogue-based health communication application for patients with chronic low back pain: study protocol of a randomised controlled trial