Glaucoma patients in the US were recently put under scrutiny to see whether or not a complimentary phone call reminder for them to use their prescriptive medication would assist in changing their patient status from " non compliant" to compliant.
The term for non compliant patients referred to those who were missing regular screening appointments, or found to be not taking their medication between visits or renewing existing prescriptions.
The hope was that by receiving a reminder the patients would remain on a schedule of treatment.
The study undertaken by the University of Pennsylvania used just over three hundred glaucoma patients who were already labelled as being non compliant.
They divided the three hundred to include a control group, and those who fell in the remainder were treated to print out sheets tailored to their conditions, and regular interactive or pre recorded phone calls as reminders to stay on their schedules.
Those in the control group received just recommendations for screening or repeat prescriptions, which was the usual level of care provided.
The study concluded that both of the test groups showed a statistically significant increase in keeping with their medication schedules, however the treatment group did not show a statistically significant higher level of adherence than the usual level of care group.
So, even with reminders, our management of our conditions stays roughly the same. It is imperative that we keep to scheduled appointments, book regular screenings, check our prescriptions and order repeats when necessary and take responsibility for our own health as the Health System work hard to provide everything we need to do so. The system only works when everyone is doing as they should be doing!