Internet-based survey intervention improves adherence to methotrexate among psoriasis patients

Area of Science:

• Dermatology
• Digital Health
• Pharmacology

Background:

• Psoriasis patients exhibit poor adherence to topical and systemic treatments.
• Methotrexate adherence in psoriasis is not well-understood, with limited strategies for improvement.
• Understanding and enhancing methotrexate adherence is crucial for effective psoriasis management.

Purpose of the Study:

• To assess if a digital intervention enhances oral methotrexate adherence.
• To measure adherence using electronic monitoring over a 24-week period.
• To evaluate the impact of digital interventions on patient compliance.

Main Methods:

• Twenty-nine psoriasis patients were randomized into two groups: digital intervention or no intervention.
• Intervention group received weekly digital adherence assessments; control group did not.
• Medication adherence was tracked via electronic monitoring bottles over 24 weeks.

Main Results:

• The digital intervention group demonstrated significantly higher adherence (77.1%) compared to the control group (64.5%).
• A greater proportion of patients in the intervention group took methotrexate as prescribed (78.3% vs 64.2%).
• Adherence peaked around follow-up visits for both groups, but was highest in the intervention group (100%).

Conclusions:

• Scalable, low-cost digital interventions show promise in improving methotrexate adherence for psoriasis patients.
• The precise mechanism driving adherence improvement via digital interventions requires further investigation.
• Digital tools offer a potential strategy to enhance systemic medication compliance in chronic dermatological conditions.