A one-year trial found that the eKidneyCare smartphone app helped users with chronic kidney disease take their prescribed medications properly. The app is synced with pharmacies and includes a medication feature that prompts users to review medications monthly and report changes, additions, or medication problems to clinical professionals.
The app was developed by Alexander G. Logan, MD, FRCP and Stephanie W. Ong, BScPhm, MSc. The goal was an app to engage consumers to identify and resolve medication discrepancies and build a sense of “therapeutic alliance” through better connectivity with health care professionals.
The developers tested the app in a one-year trial with 182 people with advanced chronic kidney disease. The participants were randomly assigned to receive a smartphone pre-loaded with either eKidneyCare or MyMedRec apps. MyMedRec is a commercially available stand-alone app for storing medication and other health information that users can share with clinical professionals.
Those in the eKidneyCare group had fewer total medication discrepancies compared with those in the MyMedRec group. The eKidneyCare group had lower severity of clinically relevant medication discrepancies in all categories, including those with the potential to cause serious harm. Usage data revealed that 72% of those randomized to eKidneyCare completed one or more medication reviews per month, whereas only 30% of those in the MyMedRec group kept their medication profile on their phone.
The findings were reported in “Digital Applications Targeting Medication Safety in Ambulatory High-Risk Chronic Kidney Disease Patients: Randomized Controlled Clinical Trial,” which was published on March 18, 2021, at https://cjasn.asnjournals.org/content/early/2021/03/17/CJN.15020920 (accessed April 5, 2021).
Contact information: Alexander G. Logan, M.D., Sinai Health, 60 Murray St., Room L2-411, Toronto, ON M5T 3L9, Canada. Email: logan@lunenfeld.ca.
