Dive Brief:
- A study published recently in the Journal of Medical Internet Research has concluded that a tablet app can improve medication adherence, even in patients who had no previous experience with tablets, smartphones or even the Internet.
- To conduct the study, a tablet app for Android and iOS was designed, with input and usability testing done by three physicians, four pharmacists, and 23 patients in an effort to make the app extremely easy to use. The app, which offered space for storing prescription info, instructions for position and pictures of the drugs, was given to an experimental group of 51 patients, while a control group of 48 did not use it.
- While the app didn't appear to lower medication errors, nor did it have a big impact on outcomes like hemoglobin or blood pressure, self-reported treatment adherence grew by 28.3% in patients using the app, and the rate of missed doses was 27.3% lower than in the control group.
Dive Insight:
While a small study, the results from this research have interesting implications for reaching out to the technologically insecure. Notably, the 55% of the experiment group who had never used a computer, tablet, or smartphone had slightly better medication adherence scores than those who are more familiar with the technology. Apps that are popular with the technically unschooled have great potential to reach the elderly and other patient groups that have not traditionally adopted technology as part of their care.