Background: Poor treatment adherence in patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) or asthma is a global public health concern with severe consequences in terms of patient health... Show moreBackground: Poor treatment adherence in patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) or asthma is a global public health concern with severe consequences in terms of patient health and societal costs. A potentially promising tool for addressing poor compliance is eHealth.Objective: This review investigates the effects of eHealth interventions on medication adherence in patients with COPD or asthma.Methods: A systematic literature search was conducted in the databases of Cochrane Library, PsycINFO, PubMed, and Embase for studies with publication dates between January 1, 2000, and October 29, 2020. We selected randomized controlled trials targeting adult patients with COPD or asthma, which evaluated the effectiveness of an eHealth intervention on medication adherence. The risk of bias in the included studies was examined using the Cochrane Collaboration's risk of bias tool. The results were narratively reviewed.Results: In total, six studies focusing on COPD and seven focusing on asthma were analyzed. Interventions were mostly internet-based or telephone-based, and could entail telemonitoring of symptoms and medication adherence, education, counseling, consultations, and self-support modules. Control groups mostly comprised usual care conditions, whereas a small number of studies used a face-to-face intervention or waiting list as the control condition. For COPD, the majority of eHealth interventions were investigated as an add-on to usual care (5/6 studies), whereas for asthma the majority of interventions were investigated as a standalone intervention (5/7 studies). Regarding eHealth interventions targeting medication adherence for COPD, two studies reported nonsignificant effects, one study found a significant effect in comparison to usual care, and three reported mixed results. Of the seven studies that investigated eHealth interventions targeting medication adherence in asthma, three studies found significant effects, two reported nonsignificant effects, and two reported mixed effects.Conclusions: The mixed results on the effectiveness of eHealth interventions in improving treatment adherence for asthma and COPD are presumably related to the type, context, and intensity of the interventions, as well as to differences in the operationalization and measurement of adherence outcomes. Much remains to be learned about the potential of eHealth to optimize treatment adherence in COPD and asthma. Show less
Background: Despite the increase in use and high expectations of digital health solutions, scientific evidence about the effectiveness of electronic health (eHealth) and other aspects such as... Show moreBackground: Despite the increase in use and high expectations of digital health solutions, scientific evidence about the effectiveness of electronic health (eHealth) and other aspects such as usability and accuracy is lagging behind eHealth solutions are complex interventions, which require a wide array of evaluation approaches that are capable of answering the many different questions that arise during the consecutive study phases of eHealth development and implementation. However, evaluators seem to struggle in choosing suitable evaluation approaches in relation to a specific study phase.Objective: The objective of this project was to provide a structured overview of the existing eHealth evaluation approaches, with the aim of assisting eHealth evaluators in selecting a suitable approach for evaluating their eHealth solution at a specific evaluation study phase.Methods: Three consecutive steps were followed. Step 1 was a systematic scoping review, summarizing existing eHealth evaluation approaches. Step 2 was a concept mapping study asking eHealth researchers about approaches for evaluating eHealth. In step 3, the results of step 1 and 2 were used to develop an "eHealth evaluation cycle" and subsequently compose the online "eHealth methodology guide."Results: The scoping review yielded 57 articles describing 50 unique evaluation approaches. The concept mapping study questioned 43 eHealth researchers, resulting in 48 unique approaches. After removing duplicates, 75 unique evaluation approaches remained. Thereafter, an "eHealth evaluation cycle" was developed, consisting of six evaluation study phases: conceptual and planning, design, development and usability, pilot (feasibility), effectiveness (impact), uptake (implementation), and all phases. Finally, the "eHealth methodology guide" was composed by assigning the 75 evaluation approaches to the specific study phases of the "eHealth evaluation cycle."Conclusions: Seventy-five unique evaluation approaches were found in the literature and suggested by eHealth researchers, which served as content for the online "eHealth methodology guide." By assisting evaluators in selecting a suitable evaluation approach in relation to a specific study phase of the "eHealth evaluation cycle," the guide aims to enhance the quality, safety, and successful long-term implementation of novel eHealth solutions. Show less
Aardoom, J.J.; Loheide-Niesmann, L.; Ossebaard, H.C.; Riper, H. 2020
Background: Poor adherence to continuous positive airway pressure (CPAP) treatment by adults with obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) is a common issue. Strategies delivered by means of information and... Show moreBackground: Poor adherence to continuous positive airway pressure (CPAP) treatment by adults with obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) is a common issue. Strategies delivered by means of information and communication technologies (ie, eHealth) can address treatment adherence through patient education, real-time monitoring of apnea symptoms and CPAP adherence in daily life, self-management, and early identification and subsequent intervention when device or treatment problems arise. However, the effectiveness of available eHealth technologies in improving CPAP adherence has not yet been systematically studied. Objective: This meta-analytic review was designed to investigate the effectiveness of a broad range of eHealth interventions in improving CPAP treatment adherence.Methods: We conducted a systematic literature search of the databases of Cochrane Library, PsycINFO, PubMed, and Embase to identify relevant randomized controlled trials in adult OSA populations. The risk of bias in included studies was examined using seven items of the Cochrane Collaboration risk-of-bias tool. The meta-analysis was conducted with comprehensive meta-analysis software that computed differences in mean postintervention adherence (MD), which was defined as the average number of nightly hours of CPAP use.Results: The meta-analysis ultimately included 18 studies (N=5429 adults with OSA) comprising 22 comparisons between experimental and control conditions. Postintervention data were assessed at 1 to 6 months after baseline, depending on the length of the experimental intervention. eHealth interventions increased the average nightly use of CPAP in hours as compared with care as usual (MD=0.54, 95% CI 0.29-0.79). Subgroup analyses did not reveal significant differences in effects between studies that used eHealth as an add-on or as a replacement to care as usual (P=.95), between studies that assessed stand-alone eHealth and blended strategies combining eHealth with face-to-face care (P=.23), or between studies of fully automated interventions and guided eHealth interventions (P=.83). Evidence for the long-term follow-up effectiveness of eHealth adherence interventions remains undecided owing to a scarcity of available studies and their mixed results.Conclusions: eHealth interventions for adults with OSA can improve adherence to CPAP in the initial months after the start of treatment, increasing the mean nightly duration of use by about half an hour. Uncertainty still exists regarding the timing, duration, intensity, and specific types of eHealth interventions that could be most effectively implemented by health care providers. Show less
