The feasibility of text reminders to improve medication adherence in adolescents with asthma

• Published in: Journal of the American Medical Informatics Association : JAMIA Vol. 23; no. 3; pp. 449 - 455
• Main Authors: Johnson, Kevin B, Patterson, Barron L, Ho, Yun-Xian, Chen, Qingxia, Nian, Hui, Davison, Coda L, Slagle, Jason, Mulvaney, Shelagh A
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: England Oxford University Press 01.05.2016
• Subjects: Adolescent; Asthma - drug therapy; Feasibility Studies; Female; Humans; Intention to Treat Analysis; Internet; Male; Medication Adherence; Mobile Applications; Quality of Life; Reminder Systems; Self Care; Special Focus on Person-Generated Health and Wellness Data; Text Messaging; clinical trial; biomedical informatics; adherence; mHealth; adolescent; mobile technology; asthma; personal health records
• ISSN: 1067-5027; 1527-974X; 1527-974X
• DOI: 10.1093/jamia/ocv158

Objective Personal health applications have the potential to help patients with chronic disease by improving medication adherence, self-efficacy, and quality of life. The goal of this study was to assess the impact of MyMediHealth (MMH) – a website and a short messaging service (SMS)-based reminder system – on medication adherence and perceived self-efficacy in adolescents with asthma. Methods We conducted a block-randomized controlled study in academic pediatric outpatient settings. There were 98 adolescents enrolled. Subjects who were randomized to use MMH were asked to create a medication schedule and receive SMS reminders at designated medication administration times for 3 weeks. Control subjects received action lists as a part of their usual care. Primary outcome measures included MMH usage patterns and self-reports of system usability, medication adherence, asthma control, self-efficacy, and quality of life. Results Eighty-nine subjects completed the study, of whom 46 were randomized to the intervention arm. Compared to controls, we found improvements in self-reported medication adherence (P = .011), quality of life (P = .037), and self-efficacy (P = .016). Subjects reported high satisfaction with MMH; however, the level of system usage varied widely, with lower use among African American patients. Conclusions MMH was associated with improved medication adherence, perceived quality of life, and self-efficacy. Trial Registration This project was registered under http://clinicaltrials.gov/ identifier NCT01730235.