Accepted for/Published in: JMIR Formative Research
Date Submitted: Sep 22, 2018
Date Accepted: Oct 28, 2020
(closed for review but you can still tweet)
Warning: This is an author submission that is not peer-reviewed or edited. Preprints - unless they show as "accepted" - should not be relied on to guide clinical practice or health-related behavior and should not be reported in news media as established information.
Effectiveness of Text Message Reminders on Adherence to Inhaled Therapy in Patients With Asthma: Prospective Multicenter Randomized Clinical Trial
Background:
Poor adherence to inhaled medication in asthma patients is of great concern. It is one of the main reasons for inadequate asthma control.
Objective:
The goal of the research was to determine if motivational messages using short message service (SMS, or text) improved adherence to inhaled medication in patients with asthma.
Methods:
A prospective multicenter randomized parallel-group clinical trial was conducted in 10 asthma clinics in Spain. Adherence was assessed with electronic monitors (Smartinhaler, Adherium Ltd) connected to inhalers. Patients in the SMS group received psychologist-developed motivational messages every 3 days for 6 months.
Results:
There were 53 patients in the SMS group and 88 patients in the control group. After 6 months, mean electronic adherence was 70% (SD 17%) in the intervention group and 69% (SD 17%) in the control group (P=.82). Significant differences between the study groups in morning and evening adherence to inhaled therapy, asthma control, exhaled nitric oxide levels, or improvement of lung functions were not observed.
Conclusions:
Motivational messages were not useful to improve adherence to inhaled asthma medication compared with usual care.
Citation
