A small pilot study at Columbus, Ohio-based Nationwide Children’s Hospital found that adolescent patients with diabetes who received text messages related to their medication plan were less likely to miss treatment doses, Healthcare IT News reports.
The rate of non-adherence to medication regimens among adolescent patients is four times higher than the rate for adult patients.
In the study, Nationwide Children’s Hospital endocrinologist Jennifer Dyer sent her adolescent diabetes patients personalized questions and reminders tied to diabetes adherence. She also sent messages offering support to the patients.
Dyer’s questions touched upon patients’ glucose testing, meals and the frequency of high and low glucose levels.
After three months, Dyer said patients who received the texts were three times less likely to miss a dose.
iPhone App
Dyer has applied for an internal grant to test an iPhone application she developed that would allow endocrinologists to send automated, personalized texts to several patients at a certain time (Merrill, Healthcare IT News, 8/10).
