Perception Towards the Use of Smartphone Application (Apps) to Enhance Medication Adherence Among Saudi Pediatrics

Renad Alsalamah; Ray Alsuhaibani; Nadia maysarah

doi:10.3823/2560

Renad Alsalamah
Ray Alsuhaibani Qassim University
Nadia maysarah

Abstract

Objectives: The aim of this study was to measure the importance of smartphone applications (Apps) in medication adherence in children to help parents and caregivers in giving medication to children to maintain a good health and quality of life, and to improve current clinical practices in adherence to medications among Saudi pediatrics.

Methodology: Cross sectional survey to Saudi Arabia population was conducted from March to April 2017(n=405). Data were collected, tabulated and analyzed using Survey Monkey. We present design requirements for building medication reminders that support the routine aspect of medication-taking by linking children’s concerns, (such as games) on taking medications at time.

Results: Of the 405 survey participants, the majority of participants 72.5% were not aware by applications of smart device that make easier to take medicines regularly. Eighty percent of participants preferred a mobile app to help their children take the medicine easily and regularly, and 39.8% of them thought that the child will interact with this game, the majority of them 88.6% don’t have any obstacle hinders the use of these updated applications. Fifty percent of them will encourage young patients, to use such applications (App) to help them in their medication adherence.

Conclusion: Nonadherence to medication is still represents a fundamental health care challenge. The presence of an application makes it easier for parents to give medication to their sick children. Most children love playing games, there is a high probability of their attachment to this application (App) and it will promote children’s medication adherence.

Key words: Patient adherence, Pediatric, Smartphone, Applications, Apps.

References

1-Nunes V, Neilson J, O’Flynn N, Calvert N, Kuntze S, Smithson H, Benson J, Blair J, Bowser A, Clyne W, Crome P, Haddad P, Hemingway S, Horne R, Johnson S, Kelly S, Packham B, Patel M, Steel J (2009). Clinical Guidelines and Evidence Review for Medicines Adherence: involving patients in decisions about prescribed medicines and supporting adherence. London: National Collaborating Centre for Primary Care and Royal College of General Practitioners.
2- Horne, R., Weinman, J., Barber, N., Elliott, R., Morgan, M., Cribb, A., & Kellar, I. (2005). Concordance, adherence and compliance in medicine taking. London: NCCSDO, 2005, 40-6.
3- Sabaté, E. (Ed.). (2003). Adherence to long-term therapies: evidence for action. World Health Organization.
4- Modi, A. C., Pai, A. L., Hommel, K. A., Hood, K. K., Cortina, S., Hilliard, M. E., ... & Drotar, D. (2012). Pediatric self-management: a framework for research, practice, and policy. Pediatrics, 129(2), e473-e485.
5- Ruddy, K., Mayer, E., & Partridge, A. (2009). Patient adherence and persistence with oral anticancer treatment. CA: A Cancer Journal for Clinicians, 59(1), 56-66.
6- Waterhouse, D. M., Calzone, K. A., Mele, C., & Brenner, D. E. (1993). Adherence to oral tamoxifen: a comparison of patient self-report, pill counts, and microelectronic monitoring. Journal of Clinical Oncology, 11(6), 1189-1197.
7- Osterberg, L., & Blaschke, T. (2005). Adherence to medication. New England Journal of Medicine, 353(5), 487-497.
8- Sabaté, E. (Ed.). (2003). Adherence to long-term therapies: evidence for action. World Health Organization.
9- Lehane, E., & McCarthy, G. (2007). Intentional and unintentional medication non-adherence: a comprehensive framework for clinical research and practice? A discussion paper. International journal of nursing studies, 44(8), 1468-1477.
10- Daleboudt, G., Broadbent, E., McQueen, F., & Kaptein, A. A. (2011). Intentional and unintentional treatment nonadherence in patients with systemic lupus erythematosus. Arthritis care & research, 63(3), 342-350.
11- Boulos, M. N. K., Wheeler, S., Tavares, C., & Jones, R. (2011). How smartphones are changing the face of mobile and participatory healthcare: an overview, with example from eCAALYX. Biomedical engineering online, 10(1), 24.
12- Kailas, A., Chong, C. C., & Watanabe, F. (2010). From mobile phones to personal wellness dashboards. IEEE pulse, 1(1), 57-63.
13- Haynes, R. B., Ackloo, E., Sahota, N., McDonald, H. P., & Yao, X. (2008). Interventions for enhancing medication adherence. The Cochrane Library.
14- De Civita, M., & Dobkin, P. L. (2004). Pediatric adherence as a multidimensional and dynamic construct, involving a triadic partnership. Journal of pediatric psychology, 29(3), 157-169.
15- Dabbs, A. D., Song, M. K., Hawkins, R., Aubrecht, J., Kovach, K., Terhorst, L., ... & Callan, J. (2011). An intervention fidelity framework for technology-based behavioral interventions. Nursing research, 60(5), 340.
16- Vodopivec-Jamsek, V., de Jongh, T., Gurol-Urganci, I., Atun, R., & Car, J. (2008). Mobile phone messaging for preventive health care. Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews, 12.
17- Santer, M., Ring, N., Yardley, L., Geraghty, A. W., & Wyke, S. (2014). Treatment non-adherence in pediatric long-term medical conditions: systematic review and synthesis of qualitative studies of caregivers’ views. BMC pediatrics, 14(1), 63.
18-Lenhart, A. (2017). Is the age at which kids get cell phones getting younger?. [online] Pew Research Center: Internet, Science & Tech.
19- Chiong, C., & Shuler, C. (2010). Learning: Is there an app for that. In Investigations of young children’s usage and learning with mobile devices and apps. New York: The Joan Ganz Cooney Center at Sesame Workshop.
20- Delpier, T., Giordana, S., & Wedin, B. M. (2013). Decreasing sugar-sweetened beverage consumption in the rural adolescent population. Journal of Pediatric Health Care, 27(6), 470-478.
21- Mistry, N., Keepanasseril, A., Wilczynski, N. L., Nieuwlaat, R., Ravall, M., Haynes, R. B., & Patient Adherence Review Team. (2015). Technology-mediated interventions for enhancing medication adherence. Journal of the American Medical Informatics
Association, 22(e1), e177-e193.
22- Dayer, L., Heldenbrand, S., Anderson, P., Gubbins, P. O., & Martin, B. C. (2013). Smartphone medication adherence apps: potential benefits to patients and providers. Journal of the American Pharmacists Association, 53(2), 172-181.