The Effectiveness of Telehealth Interventions on Medication Adherence Among Patients with Type 2 Diabetes: A...

Diabetes mellitus (DM) is a global health issue with an increasing frequency across the world and is an important disease in which medication adherence is a priority component for disease management. Several interventions are implemented to increase medication adherence in patients with type 2 DM, and telehealth interventions have become widespread thanks to technological advancements. This meta-analysis aims at reviewing the telehealth interventions applied to patients with type 2 DM and examining their effects on medication adherence. Relevant studies published in ScienceDirect, Web of Science, Cochrane Central Register of Controlled Trials (CENTRAL) and PubMed from 2000 to December 2022 were searched in this meta-analysis. Their methodological quality was assessed using the Modified Jadad scale. Total score for each study ranged from 0 (low quality) to 8 (high quality). Studies with four or more were of good quality. Standardized mean difference (SMD) and 95% confidence intervals (CI) were used for statistical analysis. Publication bias was assessed using the funnel plot and Egger regression test. Both subgroup analysis and meta-regression analysis were performed in the study. A total of 18 studies were analyzed in this meta-analysis. All studies scored 4 or above in their methodological quality assessment and were of good quality. The combined results have shown that telehealth interventions significantly increased medication adherence in the intervention group (SMD = 0.501; 95% CI 0.231-0.771; Z = 3.63, p < 0.001). Our subgroup analysis has revealed that HbA1c value, mean age, and duration of intervention significantly affected the study results. Telehealth interventions are an effective method to increase medication adherence in patients with type 2 DM. It is recommended that telehealth interventions be expanded in clinical practices and included in disease management.