A pilot randomized clinical trial of gamification to increase medication adherence
Authors' conclusion
In this pilot randomized controlled trial, we found that a behaviorally-designed gamification intervention did not increase adherence to antihypertensive medications and statins compared with attention control. Challenges with recruiting patients with a history of poor adherence and lack of tools for automated, inexpensive, unobtrusive measurement of daily medication-taking behavior are key limitations to the deployment of gamification to increase medication adherence.
Study context
- Population
- Patients prescribed 1 or 2 antihypertensive medications and a statin with a recent history of nonadherence, at risk of cardiovascular diseaseenrolled and randomized (of a planned 84), 622 eligible and contacted
- Participants
- 43 patients
- Comparison
- gamification vs attention control
- gamificationn = 21
- controln = 22
- Primary endpoint
- Self-reported adherence to antihypertensive medications and statins
- Follow-up
- 18-week study period
Methodological detailssingle primary care clinic
- Single primary care clinic
Primary result
As reported in the abstract
Gamification
- Antihypertensive medications
- 79.6%
- Statins
- 80.4%
Control
- Antihypertensive medications
- 78.6%
- Statins
- 78.6%
Antihypertensive medications
Statins
Further findings
Self-reported adherence over the post-intervention follow-up period; medication adherence by SureScripts data, systolic blood pressure, low-density lipoprotein cholesterol · 4-week post-intervention follow-up period
- No differences between arms
Baseline characteristics
- Mean (SD) age
- 65 (7.2)
- Women
- 20 (46.5%)
- Black
- 25 (58.1%)
Original publication
Summarised from the published abstract; every number is checked against it