Meta-analysis finds texting works for medication adherence
Text message reminders to patients can improve medication adherence by 15.3 to 17.8 percent, according to findings published in the Journal of Clinical Nursing.
The meta-analysis of 13 individual studies included both generic text messaging protocols and some with communications tailored to specific patients and medication regimens timed either daily, weekly or monthly. Some messaging systems enabled user responses and others were one-way.
"This review established a scientific basis for text messages as an intervention to improve medication adherence across multiple diseases," the authors concluded. "Future large, rigorous, randomized trials are needed to further test text messaging interventions."