A Smartphone App on Medication Adherence

Study Overview
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Brief Summary
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This is an experimental study which aims to explore the effectiveness of a smartphone app for medication adherence (MedAdhere app) among schizophrenic patients for eight weeks.

Detailed Description
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Schizophrenia is a mental disorder that causes severe functional disabilities and imposes a heavy economic burden. Poor medication adherence is one of the major causes of relapse of psychiatric symptoms in schizophrenic patients. This is an experimental study which aims to explore the effectiveness of a smartphone app for medication adherence (MedAdhere app) among schizophrenic patients for eight weeks.

Official Title
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The Effectiveness of a Smartphone App on Medication Adherence and Psychotic Symptoms and Cognitive Functions in Patients With Schizophrenia

Conditions
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Medication Adherence

Intervention / Treatment
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* Behavioral: the MedAdhere app


Participation Criteria
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Eligibility Criteria
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Inclusion Criteria: schizophrenia aged 20 to 65 years able to read traditional Chinese owning a smartphone currently admitted at a psychiatric day-care center Exclusion Criteria: Intellectually disabled or severe cognitive function impairment (Dementia)

Ages Eligible for Study
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Minimum Age: 20 Years
Maximum Age: 65 Years

Sexes Eligible for Study
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All

Accepts Healthy Volunteers
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Accepts Healthy Volunteers

Study Plan
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How is the study designed?
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Arms and Interventions

| Participant Group/Arm | Intervention/Treatment |
| --- | --- |
| control group<br>The control group only received usual care, the PANSS and MMSE were used to assess psychiatric symptoms and cognitive functions before (week 0) and after 8 weeks. | |
| experimental group<br>The experimental group use the MedAdhere app for eight weeks, the PANSS and MMSE were used to assess psychiatric symptoms and cognitive functions before (week 0) and after (week 8) intervention. | Behavioral: the MedAdhere app<br>* The experimental group downloaded and used the MedAdhere app on their personal smartphones during this 8-week study<br>|

What is the study measuring?
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Primary Outcome Measures

| Outcome Measure | Measure Description | Time Frame |
| --- | --- | --- |
| psychiatric symptoms | The positive and negative syndrome scale was used to measure participants' psychiatric symptoms. Of the 30 items on the scale, seven are positive symptoms, seven are negative symptoms, and 16 are general psychopathology symptoms. Symptom severity for each item is rated according to the anchoring points in the 7-point scale (1 = absent; 7 = extreme) that best describe the symptom (Kay et al., 1987). The PANSS score is the sum of ratings across items, ranging from 7 to 49 for the Positive, Negative Scales, and 16 to 112 and 16 to 112 for the General Psychopathology Scale. | Change from Baseline psychiatric symptoms at 8 weeks | 
| cognitive functions | The Mini-Mental State Examination was used to measure participants' cognitive functions. The MMSE consists of 15 questions for assessing the following seven cognitive domains: orientation in time and place, memory registration and recall, attention and calculation, and language. The total MMSE score ranged from 0 to 30, and higher scores indicate better cognitive functions. | Change from Baseline cognitive functions at 8 weeks | 
| Medication adherence rate | Utilizing cloud-based platforms to compute the medication adherence rate. | Change from Baseline Medication adherence' rate at 8 weeks | 

 Terms related to the study
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Keywords Provided by Centre Hospitalier Valida
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schizophrenia, medication adherence, smartphone app, psychiatric symptoms