Novel Randomized Control Trial Reveals Impact of Medisafe on Medication Self-Efficacy and Medication Adherence to Improve Health Outcomes in Medically Underserved Populations
Findings suggest a large-scale benefit of the Medisafe app in clinical settings
BOSTON // February 13, 2024/ A novel randomized control trial conducted by Vanderbilt University 
researchers and published in the Journal of Behavioral Medicine explored the effect of smartphone applications on medication adherence in a medically underserved population. The trial concluded that Medisafe’s free and accessible app provides a transformative impact on medication adherence and medication self-efficacy, a measure which indicates an increase in user’s confidence to manage their medications, within the first month of use.
Lower-income, medically underserved communities have been found to have inadequate rates of adherence to oral medications. Inadequate adherence is thought to be influenced by social determinants of health (SDOH) and contribute to health disparities.
“We found that for participants who used Medisafe, 43.3% demonstrated a reliable increase in adherence scores compared to only 9.7% in the control group. Given that our population focused on patients with chronic illnesses at Federally Qualified Health Centers (FQHC), this is an important finding,” said Christa Hartch, PhD, RN, FNP-C Tenure-Track Assistant Professor School of Nursing and Health Sciences, Manhattanville College. “The personalized audible and visual reminders were thought to have an impact on increased medication adherence and support the widespread use of this technology within the studied patient population.”
“Given that our population focused on patients with chronic illnesses at Federally Qualified Health Centers (FQHC), this is an important finding.” – Christa Hartch, PhD, RN
The randomized control trial also emphasized the positive impact Medisafe had in increasing participants’ self-efficacy, referring to the individual’s belief in their ability to successfully perform specific health-related behaviors, which in turn may improve health outcomes, based on the Social Cognitive Theory (SCT) framework. The integration of audible and visual reminders into participants’ daily lives was postulated to be a key facilitator.
The findings of this research suggest a large-scale benefit of implementing the commercially available, free Medisafe app in FQHC clinical settings, which serve over 30 million patients annually in community health centers across the country. This technology could positively enhance medication adherence and impact chronic disease management for medically underserved populations in the United States.
“Empowering patients through increased medication adherence and self-efficacy, isn’t just our goal—it’s our proven impact”, said Omri Shor, Chief Executive Officer at Medisafe. “Our commitment to enhancing health outcomes for those with chronic illnesses is evident, solidifying Medisafe’s support to patients, caregivers, providers, payers and life sciences companies.”
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About Medisafe
Medisafe is a leading integrated digital medication management solution that empowers users to seamlessly manage their treatment journey and holistic health while providing real-time intelligence to partners. By combining advanced technology – including smart, customizable, and scalable solutions for any needs – with behavior science, its Connected Health Platform supports patients, caregivers, providers, payers, pharma and life sciences companies at-scale by supporting better engagement, health management, and outcomes. Over 12 million people rely on Medisafe’s platform to manage over two billion medication doses. Medisafe is a HIPAA and GDPR compliant solution and is ISO 27001:2013 and ISO 13845 certified.