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BMC Medicine
Published in: BMC Medicine 1/2017

Open Access 01-12-2017 | Opinion

eHealth in the future of medications management: personalisation, monitoring and adherence

Authors: Josip Car, Woan Shin Tan, Zhilian Huang, Peter Sloot, Bryony Dean Franklin

Published in: BMC Medicine | Issue 1/2017

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Abstract

Background

Globally, healthcare systems face major challenges with medicines management and medication adherence. Medication adherence determines medication effectiveness and can be the single most effective intervention for improving health outcomes. In anticipation of growth in eHealth interventions worldwide, we explore the role of eHealth in the patients’ medicines management journey in primary care, focusing on personalisation and intelligent monitoring for greater adherence.

Discussion

eHealth offers opportunities to transform every step of the patient’s medicines management journey. From booking appointments, consultation with a healthcare professional, decision-making, medication dispensing, carer support, information acquisition and monitoring, to learning about medicines and their management in daily life. It has the potential to support personalisation and monitoring and thus lead to better adherence. For some of these dimensions, such as supporting decision-making and providing reminders and prompts, evidence is stronger, but for many others more rigorous research is urgently needed.

Conclusions

Given the potential benefits and barriers to eHealth in medicines management, a fine balance needs to be established between evidence-based integration of technologies and constructive experimentation that could lead to a game-changing breakthrough. A concerted, transdisciplinary approach adapted to different contexts, including low- and middle-income contries is required to realise the benefits of eHealth at scale.
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Metadata
Title
eHealth in the future of medications management: personalisation, monitoring and adherence
Authors
Josip Car
Woan Shin Tan
Zhilian Huang
Peter Sloot
Bryony Dean Franklin
Publication date
01-12-2017
Publisher
BioMed Central
Published in
BMC Medicine / Issue 1/2017
Electronic ISSN: 1741-7015
DOI
https://doi.org/10.1186/s12916-017-0838-0

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