Ibrahim El Bayoumy
Tanta University, Egypt
Keynote: Prim Health Care
Background: Low adherence to pharmacological therapy by patients with diabetes mellitus is a frequent and represents a worldwide challenge. Introduction: This study examined the effect of an education intervention program using WhatsApp messaging on medication adherence of patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus. Method: A randomized clinical trial was performed with 500 patients who had diabetes and who had enrolled in the 3 primary health care units (diabetes clinic) The patients were randomly assigned to either the intervention group (n=250), which received usual care (multi-professional educational appointments according to each Unit schedule) plus 60 audio, image or text WhatsApp messages about health care promotion, with an emphasis on medication adherence. The control group (n=250) only received usual care. Medication adherence, as measured by the Morisky-Green Test, was compared through the chi-square test after 6 months Relative Risk (RR) was used as a measure of effect size. Results: After the follow-up period (6 months), 75% of the patients in the intervention group were adherent versus 51.3% in the control group (RR: 1.15,95% confidence interval=0.88–1.53, p=0.056). Discussion: There was a clinically significant impact associated with increase in medication adherence than the control group. Conclusion: Given the complexity of adherence to the use of antidiabetic and antihypertensive medications, educational interventions using WhatsApp could be useful as a reinforcement to increase adherence to medication. Keywords: Type 2 diabetes, Health technology, Health promotion, Telemedicine.
Ibrahim El Bayoumy is a professor of public health and community medicine-Tanta faculty of medicine-Egypt and Lecturer and tutor of Diploma and Master of public health-University of NEW South Wales-UK, Master of Diabetes care and education Dundee faculty of medicine-UK.
