The use of technology to improve medication adherence in heart failure patients: a systematic review of randomised controlled trials

BackgroundHeart failure is an ever-growing contributor to morbidity and mortality in the ageing population. Medication adherence rates among the HF population vary widely in the literature, with a reported range of 10-98%. Technologies have been developed to improve adherence to therapies and other clinical outcomes.AimsThis systematic review aims to investigate the effect of different technologies on medication adherence in patients with heart failure. It also aims to determine their impact on other clinical outcomes and examine the potential of these technologies in clinical practice.MethodsThis systematic review was conducted using the following databases: PubMed Central UK, Embase, MEDLINE, CINAHL Plus, PsycINFO and Cochrane Library until October 2022. Studies were included if they were randomised controlled trials that used technology to improve medication adherence as an outcome in heart failure patients. The Cochrane Collaboration's Risk of Bias tool was used to assess individual studies. This review was registered with PROSPERO (ID: CRD42022371865).ResultsA total of nine studies met the inclusion criteria. Two studies showed statistically significant improvement in medication adherence following their respective interventions. Eight studies had at least one statistically significant result in the other clinical outcomes it measured, including self-care, quality of life and hospitalisations. All studies that evaluated self-care management showed statistically significant improvement. Improvements in other outcomes, such as quality of life and hospitalisations, were inconsistent.ConclusionIt is observable that there is limited evidence for using technology to improve medication adherence in heart failure patients. Further studies with larger study populations and validated self-reporting methods for medication adherence are required. KeypointsThe evidence in this review shows the potential for technology use in practice to improve health outcomes for patients with heart failure. Still, there is uncertainty in the evidence on its impact on medication adherence.Technologies presented in the studies are generally acceptable for participants, which is informative for future implementations into practice.There was a lack of high-quality studies investigating technology's use on medication adherence in heart failure. More extensive studies with improvements to study design are needed to ultimately conclude the effects on medication adherence.