Effectiveness of mobile phone-based self-management interventions for medication adherence and change in blood pressure in patients with coronary heart disease: A systematic review and meta-analysis

The aim of this study was to synthesise and evaluate the effectiveness of mobile phone-based self-management interventions for medication adherence and change in blood pressure in patients with coronary heart disease.

Relevant randomised controlled trials evaluating mobile phone-based self-management interventions for medication adherence and/or change in blood pressure in coronary heart disease patients were identified by searching six electronic databases (PubMed, Cochrane, CINAHL, ProQuest, Scopus and EMBASE) from January 2008 to January 2019. The trials were screened, data were extracted and quality was assessed by two independent reviewers. Meta-analyses were performed for different outcomes while narrative syntheses were conducted for studies that could not be pooled or when there was the presence of high heterogeneity.

Fifteen trials were included in this review, of which 11 of these trials were meta-analysed. Mobile phone-based self-management interventions were associated with a statistically significant reduction in diastolic blood pressure (combined mean difference of −1.99 (95% confidence interval (CI) –3.20 to −0.78; P=0.0001)). However, the combined effect on medication adherence (medium size effect of d=0.72 (95% CI −0.32 to 1.75; P=0.17)) and change in systolic blood pressure (combined mean difference of −1.08 (95% CI −5.51 to 3.35; P=0.63)) was not statistically significant. There was significant heterogeneity among the trials reviewed.

Mobile phone-based self-management interventions have the potential to improve self-management and adherence in patients with coronary heart disease but better designed, conducted and reported trials are needed to demonstrate this.