BACKGROUND
Medication non-adherence is a global public health challenge that results in sub-optimal health outcomes and increases healthcare costs. Forgetting to take medicines is one of the most common reasons for unintentional non-adherence. Research findings indicate that voice-activated virtual home assistants (VHAs), such as Amazon Echo and Google Home devices, may be useful in promoting medication adherence.
OBJECTIVE
Create a medication adherence app (skill) for Amazon Echo devices and measure the use, usability, and usefulness of that skill.
METHODS
A single-group mixed methods cohort feasibility study was conducted with females who took oral contraceptives (n=25). Participants were undergraduate students (mean age = 21.8, SD 6.2) at an urban university in the Southeast United States. Participants were given an Amazon Echo Dot with MedBuddy, a new medication reminder skill for Echo devices created by our team, attached to their study account, which they used for 60 days. Participants self-reported baseline and post-study medication adherence. MedBuddy use was objectively evaluated by tracking the participants’ interaction with MedBuddy through Amazon Alexa. The usability and usefulness of MedBuddy were evaluated through a post-study interview with participants responding to both quantitative and qualitative questions.
RESULTS
Participants’ interactions with MedBuddy, as tracked through Amazon Alexa, only occurred on half of the study days (mean of 50.97, SD 29.5). Compared to baseline, at study end participants reported missing their medication less in the past one and six months (χ 2 = .884 and .420 respectively, McNemar’s test p < .001 for both). However, there was no significant difference in participants’ reported adherence to consistently taking medication within the same two-hour time frame each day the past one or six months at the end of the study compared to baseline (χ 2 = 3.544 and 5.526 respectively, McNemar’s test p = .63 and p = .13 respectively). Overall feedback about usability was positive, and participants provided constructive feedback about features of the skill that could be improved. Participants’ evaluation of the usefulness of Medbuddy was overwhelmingly positive. Most participants (65.2%, n=15) said they would continue to use MedBuddy as a medication reminder in the future if provided the opportunity and the majority (91.3%, n=21) said they would recommend it to others. MedBuddy features that participants enjoyed were an external prompt separate from their phone, being able to hear the reminder prompt from a separate room, multiple reminders, and verbal responses as prompts.
CONCLUSIONS
The results of this feasibility study indicate the MedBuddy medication reminder skill may be useful in promoting medication adherence, but the skill could benefit from further usability enhancements.
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