Myeni Thanduxolo P, Pillay Somasundram
Department of Internal Medicine, Faculty of Health Sciences, University of KwaZulu-Natal, Durban.
S Afr Fam Pract (2004). 2025 Apr 29;67(1):e1-e8. doi: 10.4102/safp.v67i1.6031.
Adherence to chronic medication is crucial for managing chronic diseases and preventing complications. However, maintaining consistent adherence remains challenging, particularly in low- and middle-income countries where forgetfulness is a common barrier. The widespread use of mobile phones, even in resource-limited settings, offers a practical opportunity to leverage inbuilt reminder features to support medication adherence. This study evaluates the effectiveness of inbuilt cell phone reminders in enhancing chronic medication compliance among patients in the eThekwini health district of KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa.
In this prospective, cross-sectional study, 400 patients on chronic medications were systematically selected from five healthcare centres. Participants were divided into two groups: those using mobile phone reminders (Group 1) and those who did not (Group 2). Medication adherence was assessed using a standardised questionnaire, and statistical analyses, including Chi-square tests and logistic regression, were conducted to identify differences in adherence rates.
Group 1 exhibited significantly higher adherence rates (87%) compared to Group 2 (67%, p 0.001). The use of cell phone reminders was associated with a 2.5-fold increase in the odds of adherence (odds ratio [OR] = 2.5, 95% confidence interval [CI]: 1.7-3.6, p 0.001).
Inbuilt cell phone reminders are a cost-effective intervention that significantly enhances medication adherence, especially in resource-limited settings. Integrating mobile technologies into public health strategies could improve chronic disease management.Contribution: This study highlights the potential of mobile phone reminders as a practical tool for improving medication adherence, with significant implications for public health strategies in low-resource settings.
坚持服用慢性病药物对于控制慢性病和预防并发症至关重要。然而，保持持续的依从性仍然具有挑战性，尤其是在低收入和中等收入国家，遗忘是一个常见的障碍。即使在资源有限的环境中，手机的广泛使用也提供了一个利用其内置提醒功能来支持药物依从性的实际机会。本研究评估了南非夸祖鲁 - 纳塔尔省伊泰夸尼卫生区内置手机提醒对提高慢性病患者药物依从性的有效性。
在这项前瞻性横断面研究中，从五个医疗中心系统地选取了400名服用慢性病药物的患者。参与者被分为两组：使用手机提醒的组（第1组）和不使用手机提醒的组（第2组）。使用标准化问卷评估药物依从性，并进行包括卡方检验和逻辑回归在内的统计分析，以确定依从率的差异。
与第2组（67%，p < 0.001）相比，第1组的依从率显著更高（87%）。使用手机提醒使依从几率增加了2.5倍（优势比[OR] = 2.5，95%置信区间[CI]：1.7 - 3.6，p < 0.001）。
内置手机提醒是一种具有成本效益的干预措施，可显著提高药物依从性，尤其是在资源有限的环境中。将移动技术整合到公共卫生策略中可以改善慢性病管理。贡献：本研究强调了手机提醒作为提高药物依从性的实用工具的潜力，对资源匮乏环境中的公共卫生策略具有重要意义。
