Effects of computer generated reminder charts on patients' compliance with drug regimens

To investigate whether a reminder chart improved patients' compliance with their drug regimen after discharge from hospital.

Patients were randomly allocated to one of four groups. Two groups received the reminder chart: one also received routine counselling from a nurse and the other received structured counselling from a pharmacist, which included an explanation of the reminder chart. The other two groups received only counseling, either from a nurse or from a pharmacist. Patients were visited about 10 days later: they were questioned about their drug regimen, and their compliance was measured by tablet counting.

The pharmacy in a district general hospital and patients' homes.

197 patients being discharged from hospital who were regularly taking two or more drugs.

An individualised reminder chart, which listed each person's medicines and when they were to be taken and was automatically generated by a medicine labelling computer.

Patient's compliance with and knowledge of their drug regimen.

Of the patients who received the reminder chart, 83% (95% confidence interval 74% to 90%) correctly described their dose regimen compared with 47% (37% to 58%) of those without the chart (p < 0.001). The mean compliance score was 86% (81% to 91%) in both groups not given the reminder chart; 91% (87% to 94%) in the group given the chart without an explanation; and 95% (93% to 98%) in the group given the chart and an explanation. A mean compliance score of > 85% was achieved by 63% (53% to 73%) of patients without a reminder chart and by 86% (78% to 93%) of those receiving the chart (p < 0.001).

An automatically generated reminder chart is a practical and cost effective aid to compliance.