We all know how it feels to be nagged – and how quickly we tune it out – even when we know the nagger means well and the information is good for us.
For the 34 million men and women worldwide living with HIV, sticking to the antiretroviral therapy (ART) can make the difference between life and death, and mobile devices are increasingly being explored as an ally to help achieve this. This summer, the World Health Organization strongly recommended text messaging as a reminder tool to increase adherence to ART.
A 2010 study my colleagues and I conducted in Kenya showed that a simple “Mambo” (“how are you?”) check-in message delivered weekly to HIV patients’ mobile phones, backed up by prompt follow-ups when participants require help, improved the outcomes of their treatment and the efficiency of the health care providers.
But recent studies show that medication reminders and motivational messages did little to keep patients on medication.
Dr. Richard Lester
UBC News
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