The Use of mHealth in Promoting Therapeutic Adherence: A Scoping Review

Nonadherence to therapy negatively impacts mortality and quality of life and results in suboptimal efficacy of treatment regimens, threats to patient safety, and increased healthcare costs for disease management. Mobile health solutions can offer users instruments that can promote therapeutic adherence. The objective of this review is to investigate the impact mobile health systems have on therapeutic adherence. Specifically, we want to map the main systems used, the functions implemented, and the different methods of adherence detection used. For this purpose, a scoping review was conducted. The following databases were consulted: PubMed, Cochrane Library, EBSCO (including APA PsycINFO, CINAHL Plus with Full Text, ERIC), including English-language studies published in the last 10 years (2012–2022). The main mobile health systems used are as follows: applications, automated messaging, interactive voice response, and mobile video games. The main features implemented to support medication management were as follows: reminders, self-monitoring instruments, educational support, and caregiver involvement. In conclusion, the use of interactive mobile health instruments intended for use by the patient and/or caregiver can improve objectively and subjectively detected therapeutic adherence. The use of these systems in the therapeutic pathway of users, with a special focus on people with comorbidities and in polypharmacy treatment, represents a challenge to improve caregiver health.

Care call requests and inpatient beds modernization: Is there any link? A prospective observational study in the oncological setting

Abstract

Aim

The study aims to analyse the principal causes of patients' care calls and compare differences before and after inpatient beds' technological modernization in a surgical breast oncological ward.

Design

A prospective observational study was conducted under the STROBE guidelines. Data were collected from June to September 2022.

Methods

Statistical analyses were performed to compare each reason for care calls, by shifts and pre and post-inpatient bed modernization.

Results

Two thousand five hundred and fifty-nine care request calls were analysed during the 202 observed shifts. The most frequent reason was related to the requests for positions.

Conclusion

Technological modernization of the beds has not led to effective—positive—changes; on the contrary, it seems at first glance to show an upward trend in calls above all in the short period after the changes.

Implications for the profession and/or patient care

What problem did the study address? By analysing the principal causes of care calls and comparing the differences before and after inpatient beds' technological modernization, this study evaluates if inpatient gear or device modernization can impact care call requests. What were the main findings? The results show that the most frequent reasons for care calls were position, possession and other. These findings seem not superimposable; the hypothesis supported by the international literature in which the causes relating to potty and pain were found among the main reasons. Where and on whom will the research have an impact? These results could impact the care organizational area in nursing care and could improve care quality, patient satisfaction and safety.

Reporting Method

This prospective observational study was conducted following STROBE guidelines.

Patient or Public Contribution

After adequate information (presentation, design methods and objectives), all unit healthcare staff agreed to collaborate in the study.