Can technology improve adherence?

Doctors put a great deal of thought and effort into developing treatment plans for patients, but typically have no way of knowing-beyond results at follow-up appointments-whether the patient is actually following it. But advances in technology are giving physicians and their staff new tools for improving and tracking patient adherence. 

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“I see a role for remote wearable devices and implants in improving patient adherence. In fact, it’s already happening,” says John Meigs, Jr., MD, FAAFP, president-elect of the American Academy of Family Physicians. Meigs cites the development of devices such as blood pressure cuffs, glucose monitors, and pill bottles that can detect whether patients have taken medications as scheduled. “The technology exists to capture, store, and transmit vital patient data,” he says. 

The potential for wearable and implantable devices to improve adherence becomes even more powerful when combined with consumer electronic devices, says John Halamka, MD, chief information officer of Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center in Boston.

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Beth Israel has several projects underway that leverage the capabilities of Apple products, he says. One is an app for the iPhone that, in combination with the Apple HealthKit, transmits data from devices such as bathroom scales, blood pressure cuffs, and sleep apnea monitors to Beth Israel physicians. The data is entered automatically into the patient’s electronic health record. 

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