Improving Medication Adherence in Older Adults with Hypertension by Implementing a Text Messaging Reminder

Adherence to medication is a key important part of managing hypertension. Suboptimal medication adherence contributes to prolonged illness, increased doctor visits, frequent emergency department visits, increased length of stay in the hospital, morbidity, mortality, and economic burdens. Mobile health (mHealth) strategies such as text messaging (TM) reminders have been shown to improve medication adherence. To solve suboptimal medication adherence, the use of daily text message reminders with motivational educational messages is an effective and easy-to-use tool in modern medical practice to have influence on patient clinical outcomes, decrease cardiovascular complications, and reduce economic burden. This DNP project involves the implementation of an evidence-based mobile telephone daily text messaging reminder for six weeks to improve medication adherence with a sample of 23 older adults with hypertension at the Cranbrook Tower Apartments and surrounding community in Southwest Ann Arbor, Michigan. We analyzed the change of medication adherence status, adherent (>80%) vs. nonadherent (