Using Mobile Apps to Improve Medication Adherence in Patients with Hypertension

BACKGROUND: Medication non-adherence (MNA) is one of modern medicine's most prominent challenges, directly contributing to increased healthcare expenditures, poorer health outcomes, and higher mortality rates. Patients diagnosed with hypertension (HTN) are often disproportionally impacted by MNA. In recent years, mobile medication applications (MMAs) have emerged as a promising intervention to address MNA, offering medication reminders, patient-specific education, and adherence tracking data.

LOCAL PROBLEM: This project was hosted by a primary care office in Johnson City, TN, which, before this project, had no standard practice for addressing MNA. The AIM of this project was to assess if MMAs could decrease the rate of MNA among the hypertensive patient population in a local primary care clinic by at least 10%.

METHODS: The project was directed by the Johns Hopkins Nursing Evidence-Based Practice Model. Outcomes were measured by verbally obtaining a baseline Hill-Bone Medication Adherence Score (HB-MAS), then repeating the process via phone call 90 days post-intervention. After the project was completed, patients were assessed on their opinion of the application and utilization of the application.

INTERVENTIONS: During implementation, patients were assisted with downloading the Medisafe MMA, entering medications, and setting dose reminders.

RESULTS: When all participants were considered (N=11), there was a statistically significant improvement in MA (P=0.013). However, participants who utilized the app (N=7) showed a greater statistical improvement in medication adherence (P=0.006). A positive correlation was identified between how often the application was used and how much the participant’s HB-MAS score improved.

CONCLUSIONS: MMAs are a low-cost, easy-to-use intervention for improving MNA. For this project, using MMAs led to a statistically significant improvement in MA, making them a promising intervention for MNA.