Texting to Prevent Transplanted Liver Rejection

April 30, 2010 - PRLog -- Westfield, NJ – Non-adherence, or the failure to follow medical advice, is the most important cause of organ rejection in long-term transplant survivors. Teenagers are at particularly high risk.  Studies have shown that more than half of all teenage liver transplant recipients are non-adherent, and they are four times more likely than adult patients to take their medications at the wrong time or to forget to take them.

A study published in Pediatrics in November 2009, showed that liver transplant recipients who received text reminders were more likely to take their anti-rejection medications.  The study was conducted by physicians at the Department of Pediatrics and the Recanati Miller Transplant Institute at Mount Sinai Hospital and at the Department of Psychology, Fordham University.  

Forty-one patients were enrolled. The median age of participants was 15 years and the median age at the time of transplantation was 2 years.  During this year-long study, the number of acute cellular rejection episodes decreased from 12 to 2 (P=0.02), regardless of the number of immunosuppressant medications taken or the person who actually administered the medication.   The team reported that they observed significant improvement (P< 0.005) in medication adherence and a reduction in rejection episodes with text message reminders for pediatric recipients of liver transplants.

“Teens are texting constantly, in fact, seven times more often than they are on the phone, making texting a key driver of medication adherence,” said Amy J. Yoffie, CEO at iReminder (http://iReminder.com), a healthcare company that specializes in medical messaging programs.  “But they have to feel in control, which is why iReminder’s technology lets teens decide at what time they want to be reminded.  Parents like it because they are notified if their teenager has not complied with the reminder.“

To read about the study, go to: Pediatrics at: http://pediatrics.aappublications.org/cgi/content/abstrac....

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About iReminder™

Established in 2006, iReminder is a healthcare technology company focused on improving medication adherence and persistence. Marketed to companies in the healthcare sector, iReminder's solutions include dosing, refill and appointment reminders, as well as medical messages for education, regimen instructions, and motivation. Messages are delivered by phone, email, SMS text and iPhone calendar in the U.S. and internationally. iReminder’s personalized adherence solutions address the $290 billion in healthcare costs resulting from poor medication adherence. iReminder’s technology is customizable and scalable to meet the needs of chronically ill populations in all therapeutic areas.