There is potential for mHealth tools to better facilitate adherence to chronic disease management , but the evidence supporting its current effectiveness is mixed .
BACKGROUND Adherence to chronic disease management is critical to achieving improved health outcomes , quality of life , and cost-effective health care .
As the burden of chronic diseases continues to grow globally , so does the impact of non-adherence .
Mobile technologies are increasingly being used in health care and public health practice ( mHealth ) for patient communication , monitoring , and education , and to facilitate adherence to chronic diseases management .
OBJECTIVE We conducted a systematic review of the literature to evaluate the effectiveness of mHealth in supporting the adherence of patients to chronic diseases management ( " mAdherence " ) , and the usability , feasibility , and acceptability of mAdherence tools and platforms in chronic disease management among patients and health care providers .
Pilot study of a cell phone-based exercise persistence intervention post-rehabilitation for COPD
Objective To determine the feasibility and efficacy of a six-month , cell phone-based exercise persistence intervention for patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease ( COPD ) following pulmonary rehabilitation . Methods Participants who completed a two-week run-in were r and omly assigned to either MOBILE-Coached  ( n = 9 ) or MOBILE-Self-Monitored  ( n = 8) . All participants met with a nurse to develop an individualized exercise plan , were issued a pedometer and exercise booklet , and instructed to continue to log their daily exercise and symptoms . MOBILE-Coached also received weekly reinforcement text messages on their cell phones ; reports of worsening symptoms were automatically flagged for follow-up . Usability and satisfaction were assessed . Participants completed incremental cycle and six minute walk ( 6MW ) tests , wore an activity monitor for 14 days , and reported their health-related quality of life ( HRQL ) at baseline , three , and six months . Results The sample had a mean age of 68 ±11 and forced expiratory volume in one second 18 % predicted . Participants reported that logging their exercise and symptoms ( FEV1 ) of 40 ± was easy and that keeping track of their exercise helped them remain active . There were no differences between groups over time in maximal workload , 6MW distance , or HRQL ( p > 0.05 ) ; however , MOBILE-Self-Monitored increased total steps/day whereas MOBILE-Coached logged fewer steps over six months ( p = 0.04 ) . Conclusions We showed that it is feasible to deliver a cell phone-based exercise persistence intervention to patients with COPD post-rehabilitation and that the addition of coaching appeared to be no better than self-monitoring . The latter finding needs to be interpreted with caution since this was a purely exploratory study . Trial registration Clinical Trials.gov ( NCT00373932 )
There is potential for mHealth tools to better facilitate adherence to chronic disease management , but the evidence supporting its current effectiveness is mixed .
BACKGROUND Adherence to chronic disease management is critical to achieving improved health outcomes , quality of life , and cost-effective health care .
As the burden of chronic diseases continues to grow globally , so does the impact of non-adherence .
Mobile technologies are increasingly being used in health care and public health practice ( mHealth ) for patient communication , monitoring , and education , and to facilitate adherence to chronic diseases management .
OBJECTIVE We conducted a systematic review of the literature to evaluate the effectiveness of mHealth in supporting the adherence of patients to chronic diseases management ( " mAdherence " ) , and the usability , feasibility , and acceptability of mAdherence tools and platforms in chronic disease management among patients and health care providers .