Medication adherence among homeless patients: a pilot study of cell phone effectiveness

We examined the feasibility of using cell phones to monitor medication adherence among homeless participants and collected data for research purposes.

Ten homeless individuals with a co-occurring substance use and psychiatric disorders who were receiving psychopharmacologic treatment participated in the study. All psychopharmacologic treatment was provided by a psychiatric mental health nurse practitioner. Cell phones were provided to participants with unlimited phone service for 45 days. An automated telephone system was programmed to call participants daily for 30 days. All participant responses were reported to a computer and reviewed by study staff on a daily basis.

The automated calls reached study participants 93% of days and, when reached, participants reported 100% adherence with the prescribed medication regimen. Exit interviews indicated strong support for the usefulness of the phone and the value of the call and survey as reminders to take their medication. No patients dropped out of this study.

This pilot study establishes the feasibility of using cell phones to monitor and manage medication regimens for hard-to-reach populations, such as the homeless with co-occurring disorders. It also establishes that this technology would work for research data collection.