eHealth in the future of medications management: personalisation, monitoring and adherence

Abstract

BackgroundGlobally, healthcare systems face major challenges with medicines management and medication adherence. Medication adherence determines medication effectiveness and can be the single most effective intervention for improving health outcomes. In anticipation of growth in eHealth interventions worldwide, we explore the role of eHealth in the patients’ medicines management journey in primary care, focusing on personalisation and intelligent monitoring for greater adherence.DiscussioneHealth offers opportunities to transform every step of the patient’s medicines management journey. From booking appointments, consultation with a healthcare professional, decision-making, medication dispensing, carer support, information acquisition and monitoring, to learning about medicines and their management in daily life. It has the potential to support personalisation and monitoring and thus lead to better adherence. For some of these dimensions, such as supporting decision-making and providing reminders and prompts, evidence is stronger, but for many others more rigorous research is urgently needed.ConclusionsGiven the potential benefits and barriers to eHealth in medicines management, a fine balance needs to be established between evidence-based integration of technologies and constructive experimentation that could lead to a game-changing breakthrough. A concerted, transdisciplinary approach adapted to different contexts, including low- and middle-income contries is required to realise the benefits of eHealth at scale.

Effect of eHealth cardiac rehabilitation on health outcomes of coronary heart disease patients: A systematic review and meta‐analysis

“…The general suboptimal effects on physiological parameters in such perspective may be due to the inadequacy of the eHealth CR in promoting symptom and medication management. Such intervention components may be more relevant for positive physiological impacts (Car, Tan, Huang, Sloot, & Franklin, ).…”

“…Offering choices of different relaxation activities and hobbies from daily lives of individual patients is also promising for stress management (Tomioka, Kurumatani, & Hosoi, ). eHealth CR enabling medications management through personalization, monitoring and adherence especially sending regular reminders is also recommended for further study (Car et al, ). The American Heart Association (2013) has advocated the positive effect of structured peer support in optimizing patient behaviour change.…”

“…Such intervention components may be more relevant for positive physiological impacts (Car, Tan, Huang, Sloot, & Franklin, 2017).…”

“…Test for overall effect: Z = 0.79 (p = .43) Heterogeneity: Tau 2 = 0.09, Chi 2 = 11.73, df = 4 (p = .02); I 2 = 66% reminders is also recommended for further study (Car et al, 2017). Total (95% CI) Heterogeneity: Tau 2 = 0.67; Chi 2 = 64.54, df = 3 (p < .00001); l 2 = 95% Test for overall effect: Z = 2.25 (p = .02) Heterogeneity: Chi 2 = 4.47, df = 3 (p = .22); l 2 = 33% Test for overall effect: Z = 1.84 (p = .07) Heterogeneity: Chi 2 = 0.21, df = 2 (p = .90); l 2 = 0% Test for overall effect: Z = 2.33 (p = .02) Heterogeneity: Chi 2 = 0.10, df = 2 (p = .95); l 2 = 0% Test for overall effect: Z = 1.42 (p = .15) 0 the evidence levels of outcomes to low or moderate.…”

P5 eHealth: An Agenda for the Health Technologies of the Future

“…3); in this sense, eHealth could become a key facilitator of medical adherence helping unprepared people for the demand of caring. Technologies indeed could require support and training in the process of caring (Car et al 2017). In addition, in the future we could assume the ongoing growth of new services based on a user-centered approach and iterative development processes, even evaluating the context of use (Scandurra and Sjölinder 2013) (cfr.…”