Medication Adherence Reminder System for Virtual Home Assistants: Mixed Methods Evaluation Study.

Echo device device usability digital health health care costs medication medication adherence mobile phone public health virtual assistant virtual home assistants

Journal

JMIR formative research
ISSN: 2561-326X
Titre abrégé: JMIR Form Res
Pays: Canada
ID NLM: 101726394

Informations de publication

Date de publication:
13 07 2021
Historique:
received: 11 02 2021
accepted: 31 05 2021
revised: 08 04 2021
entrez: 13 7 2021
pubmed: 14 7 2021
medline: 14 7 2021
Statut: epublish

Résumé

Medication nonadherence is a global public health challenge that results in suboptimal health outcomes and increases health care costs. Forgetting to take medicines is one of the most common reasons for unintentional medication nonadherence. Research findings indicate that voice-activated virtual home assistants, such as Amazon Echo and Google Home devices, may be useful in promoting medication adherence. This study aims to create a medication adherence app (skill), MedBuddy, for Amazon Echo devices and measure the use, usability, and usefulness of this medication-taking reminder skill. A single-group, mixed methods, cohort feasibility study was conducted with women who took oral contraceptives (N=25). Participants were undergraduate students (age: mean 21.8 years, SD 6.2) at an urban university in the Southeast United States. Participants were given an Amazon Echo Dot with MedBuddy-a new medication reminder skill for Echo devices created by our team-attached to their study account, which they used for 60 days. Participants self-reported their baseline and poststudy medication adherence. MedBuddy use was objectively evaluated by tracking participants' interactions with MedBuddy through Amazon Alexa. The usability and usefulness of MedBuddy were evaluated through a poststudy interview in which participants responded to both quantitative and qualitative questions. Participants' interactions with MedBuddy, as tracked through Amazon Alexa, only occurred on half of the study days (mean 50.97, SD 29.5). At study end, participants reported missing their medication less in the past 1 and 6 months compared with baseline (χ The findings of this feasibility study indicate that the MedBuddy medication reminder skill may be useful in promoting medication adherence. However, the skill could benefit from further usability enhancements.

Sections du résumé

BACKGROUND
Medication nonadherence is a global public health challenge that results in suboptimal health outcomes and increases health care costs. Forgetting to take medicines is one of the most common reasons for unintentional medication nonadherence. Research findings indicate that voice-activated virtual home assistants, such as Amazon Echo and Google Home devices, may be useful in promoting medication adherence.
OBJECTIVE
This study aims to create a medication adherence app (skill), MedBuddy, for Amazon Echo devices and measure the use, usability, and usefulness of this medication-taking reminder skill.
METHODS
A single-group, mixed methods, cohort feasibility study was conducted with women who took oral contraceptives (N=25). Participants were undergraduate students (age: mean 21.8 years, SD 6.2) at an urban university in the Southeast United States. Participants were given an Amazon Echo Dot with MedBuddy-a new medication reminder skill for Echo devices created by our team-attached to their study account, which they used for 60 days. Participants self-reported their baseline and poststudy medication adherence. MedBuddy use was objectively evaluated by tracking participants' interactions with MedBuddy through Amazon Alexa. The usability and usefulness of MedBuddy were evaluated through a poststudy interview in which participants responded to both quantitative and qualitative questions.
RESULTS
Participants' interactions with MedBuddy, as tracked through Amazon Alexa, only occurred on half of the study days (mean 50.97, SD 29.5). At study end, participants reported missing their medication less in the past 1 and 6 months compared with baseline (χ
CONCLUSIONS
The findings of this feasibility study indicate that the MedBuddy medication reminder skill may be useful in promoting medication adherence. However, the skill could benefit from further usability enhancements.

Identifiants

pubmed: 34255669
pii: v5i7e27327
doi: 10.2196/27327
pmc: PMC8317037
doi:

Types de publication

Journal Article

Langues

eng

Pagination

e27327

Commentaires et corrections

Type : ErratumIn

Informations de copyright

©Cynthia F Corbett, Elizabeth M Combs, Peyton S Chandarana, Isabel Stringfellow, Karen Worthy, Thien Nguyen, Pamela J Wright, Jason M O'Kane. Originally published in JMIR Formative Research (https://formative.jmir.org), 13.07.2021.

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Auteurs

Cynthia F Corbett (CF)

College of Nursing, University of South Carolina, Columbia, SC, United States.
Center for Advancing Chronic Care Outcomes through Research and Innovation, College of Nursing, University of South Carolina, Columbia, SC, United States.

Elizabeth M Combs (EM)

College of Nursing, University of South Carolina, Columbia, SC, United States.
Center for Advancing Chronic Care Outcomes through Research and Innovation, College of Nursing, University of South Carolina, Columbia, SC, United States.

Peyton S Chandarana (PS)

Center for Advancing Chronic Care Outcomes through Research and Innovation, College of Nursing, University of South Carolina, Columbia, SC, United States.
College of Engineering and Computing, University of South Carolina, Columbia, SC, United States.

Isabel Stringfellow (I)

Center for Advancing Chronic Care Outcomes through Research and Innovation, College of Nursing, University of South Carolina, Columbia, SC, United States.
Arnold School of Public Health, University of South Carolina, Columbia, SC, United States.
South Carolina Honors College, Columbia, SC, United States.

Karen Worthy (K)

College of Nursing, University of South Carolina, Columbia, SC, United States.

Thien Nguyen (T)

College of Nursing, University of South Carolina, Columbia, SC, United States.
Center for Advancing Chronic Care Outcomes through Research and Innovation, College of Nursing, University of South Carolina, Columbia, SC, United States.

Pamela J Wright (PJ)

College of Nursing, University of South Carolina, Columbia, SC, United States.
Center for Advancing Chronic Care Outcomes through Research and Innovation, College of Nursing, University of South Carolina, Columbia, SC, United States.

Jason M O'Kane (JM)

Center for Advancing Chronic Care Outcomes through Research and Innovation, College of Nursing, University of South Carolina, Columbia, SC, United States.
College of Engineering and Computing, University of South Carolina, Columbia, SC, United States.

Classifications MeSH