Effects of using medication reminder technologies by home-dwelling older citizens: a systematic review

Population ageing has increased the need for solutions that support independent living, with medication management being a major challenge. We assessed the effects of reminder technologies among home-dwelling older citizens on outcomes within the Quintuple Aim domains: user experiences, care professional experiences, health/wellbeing, health and social service utilisation/costs and equity.

We searched databases (Scopus, CENTRAL, PubMed, Web of Science, CINAHL, PsycINFO and Cochrane Reviews) from 1.1.2017 to 29.9.2025. Two authors extracted relevant data and assessed the quality of the included studies. We assessed the evidence using a four-level quality rating scale: strong, moderate, limited or no evidence.

Twenty-three original studies and nine systematic reviews were included, resulting in 43 original studies. Significant beneficial effects on health outcomes were observed in 20 out of 40 studies, and on service utilisation in one out of four studies. Significant effects on patient/carer experiences and cost-effectiveness were not found, whereas no study assessed effects on professional experiences or equity. Only for clinical health outcomes, in particular systolic blood pressure and physical symptoms, the effectiveness of reminders reached moderate evidence.

While clinical health benefits have been observed, more high-quality research is needed to determine whether medication reminder technologies can help more broadly to respond to the challenges of population ageing, including the high pressure on health services and related expenditures.