Digital health technologies to support medication adherence in chronic kidney disease

Daniel V O'Hara; Tae Won Yi; Vincent W Lee; Meg Jardine; Jessica Dawson

doi:10.1111/nep.14113

Digital health technologies to support medication adherence in chronic kidney disease

Nephrology (Carlton). 2022 Dec;27(12):917-924. doi: 10.1111/nep.14113. Epub 2022 Oct 6.

Authors

Daniel V O'Hara^{1

2}, Tae Won Yi^{1

3

4}, Vincent W Lee^{5

6}, Meg Jardine^{1

7}, Jessica Dawson^{1

8}

Affiliations

¹ NHMRC Clinical Trials Centre, The University of Sydney, Sydney, New South Wales, Australia.
² Department of Renal Medicine, Royal North Shore Hospital, Sydney, New South Wales, Australia.
³ The George Institute for Global Health, University of New South Wales, Sydney, New South Wales, Australia.
⁴ Department of Medicine, Clinician Investigator Program, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada.
⁵ Department of Renal Medicine, Westmead Hospital, Sydney, New South Wales, Australia.
⁶ Westmead Applied Research Centre, Faculty of Medicine and Health, The University of Sydney, Sydney, New South Wales, Australia.
⁷ Department of Renal Medicine, Concord Repatriation General Hospital, Sydney, New South Wales, Australia.
⁸ Department of Nutrition and Dietetics, St George Hospital, Sydney, New South Wales, Australia.

Abstract

Non-adherence to medications is a critical challenge in the management of people with chronic kidney disease (CKD). This review explores the complexities of adherence in this population, the unique barriers and enablers of good adherence behaviours, and the role of emerging digital health technologies in bridging the gap between evidence-based treatment plans and the real-world standard of care. We present the current evidence supporting the use of digital health interventions among CKD populations, identifying the key research questions that remain unanswered, and providing practical strategies for clinicians to support medication adherence in a digital age.

Keywords: chronic kidney disease (CKD); digital health; eHealth; medication adherence.

Publication types

Review

MeSH terms

Humans
Medication Adherence*
Renal Insufficiency, Chronic* / diagnosis
Renal Insufficiency, Chronic* / drug therapy