Significant Improvement of Medication Adherence In Cardiovascular Patients Using Digital Platform Technology – A Prospective Study

Abstract

Medication nonadherence is fairly common concern which leads to increases risk for adverse cardiac events, including mortality. The phenomenon has added consequences for patients with chronic disease. The main aim of the study is to have a simple method of improving medication adherence of the cardiovascular patients over 12 months in the Department of Cardiology at a multi-speciality hospital in Chennai. The study included 192 patients prescribed cardiovascular medicines for acute myocardial infarction (AMI), congestive cardiac failure (CCF), and/or ischemic heart disease (IHD). Medication adherence was assessed using the eight-item Morisky Medication Adherence Scale (MMAS-8) which was assessed every 30 days interval up 12 months. Patients were randomized into two groups: Group I (96 patients) received weekly medication compliance reminders via WhatsApp, while Group Il (96 patients) did not receive such reminders. The results revealed that medication adherence rates in Group I exhibited better medication adherence compared to Group II based on MMAS scale analysis.

The study results suggest that using the WhatsApp mobile application for reminder strategies may be an effective and easy intervention to improve medication adherence. However, further studies with extended timelines are necessary to confirm these results and provide a more comprehensive understanding of the intervention's long-term efficacy. Future research should aim to explore the factors that influence medication adherence.