Medication Telemonitoring Improves Compliance and Behavior in...( ...)

CHICAGO, Sept. 22 /PRNewswire/ -- Medication compliance has been called the Achilles heel of modern healthcare. The average rate of compliance is only 50%. Noncompliance is associated with 70% of all medication-related hospital admissions at an estimated annual cost of $100B.

A recent study of cellphone-based drug telemonitoring technology, called eMedonline and developed by Leap of Faith Technologies, demonstrated a positive effect on compliance and behavior change when used to manage medications in a chronic disease population. eMedonline integrates cellphones, radio frequency identification (RFID) or barcodes, and health informatics to optimize medication adherence, track medication use, and extend patient care to the ambulatory setting. End use applications are in disease management and clinical trials.

Efficacy was demonstrated in a three-month, randomized control study among patients taking up to 10 prescription medications daily. The study was performed under contract with the NIH National Cancer Institute (NCI). Subjects in the Test group used the eMedonline system; subjects in the Control group took their medications as usual. Both groups provided pre-test and post-test pill counts, and completed baseline and post-test quality-of-life surveys. Compliance data from the eMedonline system was compared to pill count data. Data analysis was performed under the direction of Charles Eaton, MD, MS, Alpert Medical School, Brown University.

eMedonline had a significant and positive effect on both medication compliance and self efficacy. The Test group demonstrated 98% compliance over the study period, while the Control group demonstrated 66% compliance (p=0.0026). The Test group reported an improvement in their ability to take their medications as prescribed from baseline to follow-up, while the control group showed no improvement (p=0.0325).