{"id":8558,"date":"2023-06-20T07:26:36","date_gmt":"2023-06-20T07:26:36","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.reanfoundation.org\/?p=8558"},"modified":"2023-08-01T11:26:39","modified_gmt":"2023-08-01T11:26:39","slug":"medication-management-healthcare-app","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.reanfoundation.org\/medication-management-healthcare-app\/","title":{"rendered":"Enabling Proper Medication Management With Healthcare Apps"},"content":{"rendered":"<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Skipping your medication once is understandable; twice is forgivable, but more often than not is very risky. Medication non-adherence is no joke. Studies warn that it is the culprit behind <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov\/pmc\/articles\/PMC3947508\/#R9\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">more than 125,000 deaths and the reason for almost half of the treatment failures in the US alone.<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> There appears to be a solution in sight, fortunately, thanks to digital evolution.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<h2>Medication Management: The Crux of Healthcare<\/h2>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Most often, people blame forgetfulness for <a href=\"https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Medication\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" data-schema-attribute=\"about\">medication<\/a> non-adherence. However, factors like ignorance and intricate medication plans are also contributing factors. Nevertheless, all this is set to be a thing of the past. The use of healthcare apps by patients, providers, and healthcare organizations has increased rapidly with the advancement of smartphones and tablets.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<h2>Why is Medication Management Important?<\/h2>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Sometimes, elderly people and <a href=\"https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Chronic_condition\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" data-schema-attribute=\"mentions\">chronically ill<\/a> patients may have to take medication for the rest of their lives or for a long duration. In such cases, medication management becomes an important part of their overall <a href=\"https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Smartphone\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" data-schema-attribute=\"about\">healthcare<\/a> plan, especially when they have to take multiple medications to treat multiple disorders.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The plan is critical to their ongoing care, as medication intake can positively and negatively affect patients. Depending on a number of factors, the patient may need help managing on their own. Moreover, only a few patients understand the medication schedule, or it may be too complicated to manage alone.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Ultimately, proper medication management ensures that the patient attains the benefits of the medication and a positive healthcare outcome. Unfortunately, that doesn\u2019t seem to be the case. Studies have shown that at least <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov\/pmc\/articles\/PMC3234383\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">40%<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> of patients do not bother replenishing their medicine dosage, and approximately <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov\/pmc\/articles\/PMC3234383\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">44 out of 100 <\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">prescriptions are not collected from the pharmacy.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Obviously, the question that crosses our mind is, \u201c Why is it so difficult to maintain medication adherence?\u201d Well, there are a host of other reasons than the ones mentioned above, which include:<\/span><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Dosage calculations, such as cutting pills into quarters or halves<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Complicated medical storage containers<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Drug interactions and storage frequency<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Frequency of medication intake in a day<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Intake restrictions (medication must be taken with\/before\/after food or at certain times)<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Work or social restrictions ( restricted from operating heavy equipment, driving, or alcohol consumption)<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">It is apparent that there is no medication adherence is a must. The solutions for this predicament are in the form of healthcare mobile applications and patient engagement startups. How so? Let\u2019s unwrap the details.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><b>Improving Medication Adherence Via Healthcare Apps: The Possibilities\u00a0<\/b><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">In the current digital era, there\u2019s an app for almost everything. Hence, it\u2019s no surprise that there\u2019s a dramatic increase in the number of healthcare mobile apps that facilitate medication adherence.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">A study in 2021 revealed <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/www.mobihealthnews.com\/news\/digital-health-apps-balloon-more-350000-available-market-according-iqvia-report\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">more than 350,000 <\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">healthcare apps in the market. Approximately one in five people download mobile health (mHealth) apps. These numbers would have significantly increased in the past couple of years. A systematic review also revealed that mobile apps created for medication adherence facilitated the purpose with the appropriate tools for home-based medication management.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Furthermore, there is increasing evidence given by patients themselves who report an improvement in medication adherence. Patients who find mobile healthcare apps helpful in managing their medications increasingly value them. This increase in value and usage has created new and more effective mobile apps exclusively for medication management.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Gone are the days when patients received calls to remind them to take their medications. Yes, these calls had a profoundly positive impact on medication adherence. However, technology has made things easier, simpler, more accessible, and above all, more user-friendly, even for the most non-tech-savvy senior citizens.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Healthcare mobile applications play a powerful role in improving medication adherence for the elderly because most of them own cell phones. Nowadays, most medication adherence mobile apps come with:<\/span><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Notifications or alerts to remind users to take medications<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Monitoring vitals like body weight, BMI, blood pressure, blood sugar levels, etc.<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Refill reminders to alert periodic refilling of medication dosages.<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Such incredible features have increased the reliability of mobile healthcare apps to such an extent that the <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/www.globenewswire.com\/news-release\/2021\/12\/23\/2357205\/28124\/en\/Global-Mobile-Health-App-Market-2021-to-2026-Increasing-Smartphone-and-Internet-Penetration-to-Augment-the-Market-Size.html#:~:text=The%20mobile%20health%20app%20market%20is%20projected%20to,billion%20by%202026%2C%20from%20US%243.744%20billion%20in%202019.\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">global mobile health app market<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> is predicted to quadruple in value between 2020 and 2026.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Hence, there is a big probability that you could soon be looking for a medication-tracking healthcare app for yourself or your loved ones. Check out the guidelines that help you pick the right app from the thousands of available apps.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<h2>5 Criteria to Consider in Mobile Medication-Adherence Apps<\/h2>\n<ul>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><b>Accurate functionality<\/b><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Any errors in medication reminders and dosages can lead to serious health consequences for the patients. Hence the app you choose should have accurate information, reminder, and alerts for refills and timely dosages. It should also have <a href=\"https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Drug_interaction\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" data-schema-attribute=\"mentions\">drug interaction<\/a> warnings.<\/span><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><b>Usability features<\/b><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Look for core and tangential features like the following to improve your app experience and purpose:<\/span><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Detailed time and dosage tracking<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Automatic notifications or alerts<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Symptom tracking<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Doctor\u2019s appointment tracker<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Health progress tracer<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Potential side effects<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Treatment insights<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<ul>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><b>Patient information security<\/b><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Check if the app conforms to mandatory HIPAA regulations to protect patients\u2019 Personal Health Information (PHI). Also, check if the app saves your personal information with solid information methods and storage protocols.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><b>Device compatibility<\/b><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Check if your app is compatible with:<\/span><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Your smartphone or tablet<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Your device\u2019s operating system<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Wearable devices\u00a0<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Other health, nutrition, or fitness apps<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Your personal medication routine<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">If the app has the integrations needed to sync with your fitness devices and your routines, it will easily sync with your daily schedule.\u00a0<\/span><b><\/b><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li aria-level=\"1\"><b>App cost<\/b><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">When it comes to cost, there are four options to choose from:<\/span><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Upfront payment<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Subscription costs<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Insurance plans<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Completely free of charge<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Pick the most friendly option for your budgeted medication management.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">What are the other benefits of investing in a mobile app that helps manage medications? Let\u2019s check it out.<\/span><\/p>\n<h2>5 Benefits of Using Mobile Medication Adherence Apps<\/h2>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">A well-defined mobile medication management helps you:<\/span><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Keep track of your medication regime wherever you are<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Take medication on time and provides convenience like no other.<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Improve your effort in keeping track of your medication.<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Reduce errors like incorrect or missed dosages.<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">It also:<\/span><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Allows doctors to access patient\u2019s medication routines and habits<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Enables speedy intervention non-compliance.<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Warns users of adverse effects of multiple medication intake with the help of drug interaction checkers.<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<h2>Rean Foundation HealthGuru App: Your Solution For Medication Adherence<\/h2>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Regarding medication-adherence mobile apps, Rean\u2019s HealthGuru surpasses all other options. Our app covers all the fine details and aspects you want to expect from an app, such as:<\/span><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">User-friendliness<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Seamless functionality<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Full data security<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Appointment scheduling<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Medication tracking<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">HIPAA compliance<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Customizable to suit your routine<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Rean\u2019s HealthGuru links doctors and patients with a seamless communication bridge to enable better patient engagement.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<h3>Revolutionize Your Medication Management With REAN HealthGuru<\/h3>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">In this high-tech digital era, mobile app technology has made itself indispensable in many areas, including medication management. Irrespective of age and ailment, many people rely on these apps for medication adherence, mainly because of its convenience and user-friendliness.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Rely on <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/www.reanfoundation.org\/rean-healthguru-application\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">REAN HealthGuru<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> to stay on track with your or your loved ones\u2019 medication schedules. Do not take medication non-adherence for granted. Be smart and stay healthy with <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/www.reanfoundation.org\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">REAN Foundation<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">.<\/span><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Skipping your medication once is understandable; twice is forgivable, but more often than not is very risky. Medication non-adherence is no joke. Studies warn that it is the culprit behind more than 125,000 deaths and the reason for almost half of the treatment failures in the US alone. There appears to be a solution in [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":8562,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"inline_featured_image":false,"episode_type":"audio","audio_file":"","cover_image":"","cover_image_id":"","duration":"","filesize":"","date_recorded":"","explicit":"","block":"","filesize_raw":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[13],"tags":[],"series":[],"coauthors":[21],"class_list":["post-8558","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-mobile-app"],"acf":[],"episode_featured_image":"https:\/\/www.reanfoundation.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/06\/medication-mananagement-app.jpg","episode_player_image":"https:\/\/www.reanfoundation.org\/wp-content\/plugins\/seriously-simple-podcasting\/assets\/images\/no-album-art.png","download_link":"","player_link":"","audio_player":false,"episode_data":{"playerMode":"dark","subscribeUrls":{"apple_podcasts":{"key":"apple_podcasts","url":"","label":"Apple Podcasts","class":"apple_podcasts","icon":"apple-podcasts.png"},"stitcher":{"key":"stitcher","url":"","label":"Stitcher","class":"stitcher","icon":"stitcher.png"},"google_podcasts":{"key":"google_podcasts","url":"","label":"Google Podcasts","class":"google_podcasts","icon":"google-podcasts.png"},"spotify":{"key":"spotify","url":"","label":"Spotify","class":"spotify","icon":"spotify.png"}},"rssFeedUrl":"https:\/\/www.reanfoundation.org\/feed\/podcast\/rean-foundation-empower-yourself-to-manage-your-health","embedCode":"<blockquote class=\"wp-embedded-content\" data-secret=\"Qt3RsOVTbC\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.reanfoundation.org\/medication-management-healthcare-app\/\">Enabling Proper Medication Management With Healthcare Apps<\/a><\/blockquote><iframe sandbox=\"allow-scripts\" security=\"restricted\" src=\"https:\/\/www.reanfoundation.org\/medication-management-healthcare-app\/embed\/#?secret=Qt3RsOVTbC\" width=\"500\" height=\"350\" title=\"&#8220;Enabling Proper Medication Management With Healthcare Apps&#8221; &#8212; REAN Foundation - Empower Yourself To Manage Your Health\" data-secret=\"Qt3RsOVTbC\" frameborder=\"0\" marginwidth=\"0\" marginheight=\"0\" scrolling=\"no\" class=\"wp-embedded-content\"><\/iframe><script type=\"text\/javascript\">\n\/* <![CDATA[ *\/\n\/*! 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