A health literacy pilot intervention to improve medication adherence using Meducation® technology.

OBJECTIVE To determine whether antihypertensive medication adherence could improve using a Meducation® technology health literacy intervention. METHODS We conducted a six-month feasibility study among patients with cardiovascular disease (CVD) risk factors receiving care from hospital-based primary care clinics. All patients received a personalized Meducation® calendar listing CVD-related medications. We evaluated changes in medication adherence and clinical outcomes at six months. RESULTS There was a 42% enrollment rate (n=23). Forty percent had low health literacy, defined as less than 9th grade reading level. At three months, self-reported medication adherence improved. At six months, medication possession ratio improved 3.2%. Also, at six months there were decreases in patients' average systolic blood pressure (0.5 mmHg), diastolic blood pressure (1.5 mmHg), and body weight (3.6 pounds) (p>0.05). CONCLUSIONS A health literacy intervention may be a feasible mechanism to improve cardiovascular-related medication adherence and outcomes. PRACTICE IMPLICATIONS Health literacy interventions may improve adherence while requiring relatively few resources to implement.