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.