Improving Medication Adherence With Telemedicine for Adults With Severe Mental Illness.

The study evaluated a telephone call and text message intervention to improve adherence to medication among patients with severe mental illness. A randomized clinical trial was conducted, and outpatients with schizophrenia or bipolar disorder were assigned to the intervention group or to a usual care control group. The intervention was provided by trained nurses. Medication adherence was measured with the Medication Adherence Report Scale. The study sample comprised 120 participants. Logistic regression analysis showed that intervention group participants were significantly more likely than control group participants to be medication adherent at 6 months (odds ratio=4.11, p=.007). The superiority of the intervention emerged during months 4 to 6. Social desirability, diagnosis, and medication did not affect the results. Telemedicine via telephone can deliver low-threshold support to patients who are otherwise at high risk of progressive nonadherence to their psychotropic medication after 6 months.