There are many people out there who are required to take a daily dose of medication to help with certain health complications. However due to their busy nature, stubbornness, or just plain forgetfulness, some people end up not taking their meds. In fact it was discovered that about a third of those prescribed blood pressure medication actually don’t end up taking their pills.
However interestingly enough, a recent study has shown that by actually texting patients and reminding them to take their meds, these patients will end up complying. The study involved 300 patients which were then split into two groups – one that received text messages and one that didn’t.
About 25% of the ones in the group that did not receive text messages ended up not taking their medication completely, or less than 80% of it. However those in the group that received the messages ended up taking their meds, with only 9% who did not or who took less than 80% of their prescribed medication.
According to Dr. David Wald, cardiologist, Queen Mary University, “An important and overlooked problem in medicine is the failure to take prescribed medication. The results of this trial show that text message reminders help prevent this in a simple and effective way. More than just a reminder, the texts provided the link to identify patients who needed help.”
Perhaps with this new discovery, hospitals or clinics could come up with some kind of system that would send out automated text messages to patients who have been put on a regimen of medication to remind them to take it. What do you guys think?
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