Meta-analysis finds texting works for medication adherence

Beth Walsh | | Health Exec | Precision Medicine

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."

Beth Walsh,

Editor

Editor Beth earned a bachelor’s degree in journalism and master’s in health communication. She has worked in hospital, academic and publishing settings over the past 20 years. Beth joined TriMed in 2005, as editor of CMIO and Clinical Innovation + Technology. When not covering all things related to health IT, she spends time with her husband and three children.

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