Exploration of Features of Mobile Applications for Medication Adherence in Asia: Narrative Review

Medication is crucial for managing chronic diseases, yet adherence rates are often suboptimal. With advanced integration of IT and mobile internet into health care, mobile apps present a substantial opportunity for improving adherence by incorporating personalized educational, behavioral, and organizational strategies. However, determining the most effective features and functionalities for these apps within the specific health care context in Asia remains a challenge.

We aimed to review the existing literature, focusing on Asian countries, to identify the optimal features of mobile apps that can effectively enhance medication adherence within the unique context of Asian societies.

We conducted a narrative review with the SPIDER (sample, phenomenon of interest, design, evaluation, research type) tool. We identified studies on mobile apps for medication adherence from January 2019 to August 2024 on PubMed and Scopus. Key search terms included "Asia," "chronic disease," "app," "application," "survey," "experiment," "questionnaire," "group," "medical adherence," "medication adherence," "case-control," "cohort study," "randomized controlled trial," "clinical trial," "observational study," "qualitative research," "mixed methods," and "analysis," combined using logical operators "OR" and "AND." The features of mobile apps identified in the studies were evaluated, compared, and summarized based on their disease focuses, developers, target users, features, usability, and use.

The study identified 14 mobile apps designed to enhance medication adherence. Of these, 11 were developed by research teams, while 3 were created by commercial companies or hospitals. All the apps incorporated multiple features to support adherence, with reminders being the most common, present in 11 apps. Patient community forums were the least common, appearing in only 1 app. In total, 6 apps provided lifestyle modification functions, offering dietary and exercise recommendations, generating individualized plans, and monitoring progress. In addition, 6 apps featured health data recording and monitoring functions, with 4 allowing users to export and share records with researchers or health care professionals. Many apps included communication features, with 10 enabling feedback from researchers or health care professionals and 7 offering web-based consultation services. Educational content was available in 8 apps, and 7 used motivation strategies to encourage adherence. Six studies showed that mobile apps improved clinical outcomes, such as blood glucose, lipid, and pressure, while reducing adverse events and boosting physical activities. Twelve studies noted positive humanistic effects, including better medication adherence, quality of life, and user satisfaction.

This review has identified key components integrated into mobile apps to support medication adherence. However, the lack of government and corporate involvement in their development limits the generalizability of any individual app. Beyond basic reminder functions, features such as multiuser support, feedback mechanisms, web-based consultations, motivational tools, and socialization features hold significant promise for improving medication adherence. Further pragmatic research is necessary to validate the effectiveness of these selected apps in enhancing adherence.