Researchers at Queen Mary University of London conducted a trial in which they sent text messages to a group of patients prescribed such medications to determine if such an intervention could improve medication adherence.
Patients in the intervention group received scheduled texts over six months through an automated computer program. Patients were prompted to respond to the text messages indicating if they had taken their medication, if the text reminded them to take the medication if they had forgotten and to determine the reason for not taking their medication if they had not done so.
In the control group not receiving tests, 25 percent of patients either stopped taking the medication entirely or took it on less than 22 of the last 28 days of the follow-up. Just 9 percent of the intervention group displayed similar results.
Additionally, the text messages reminded 65 percent of patients to take their medication on at least one occasion and led to 13 percent of patients to resume taking their medication after stopping due to concern of efficacy and side effects.
Researchers concluded text messaging improved medication adherence for this patient population compared to no text messaging.
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