Methodological Challenges in Assessing the Impact of Digital Technologies on Patient Adherence

Friday, August 26, 2022

10:30 AM – 12:00 PM CEST

Location: C1M1

Publication Number: 30

Background: Poor medication adherence remains to be the greatest challenge in drug therapy. There has been a rapid development of different digital technologies to support adherence to medication but there is limited knowledge about their effectiveness and safety.. Pharmacoepidemiological studies can contribute, but there are many methodological challenges.

Objectives: To provide insight in key methodological challenges in observational studies on the effectiveness and safety of digital technologies to support medication adherence.

Description: The workshop will begin with an introduction to the theme of digital technologies in medication adherence. Such technologies include, e.g., smart pill-boxes/packaging, digital inhalers, audio and vibration-based tracking devices, pill-tracers and e-injection pens, e-Health self-management applications and big data. Short presentations and interactive discussions will follow around different types of methodological challenges that needs to be addressed when designing studies to assess the effectiveness and safety of digital technologies to support medication adherence. A template for a research protocol will be developed during the workshop. This will be organized as group discussions including 8-10 people in each group, led by a facilitator. All facilitators are active members of the European COST Action "European Network to Advance Best practices & technoLogy on medication adherencE" (ENABLE) project.
· Introduction (10 min): Digital technologies to support medication adherence. (Job van Boven, Netherlands, chair of the COST Enable project) Short presentation about the importance of medication adherence, which digital technologies there are to support and what we know about their effectiveness.
· Discussion in groups (15'): What are the key knowledge gaps? How can pharmacoepidemiology contribute? What aspects of adherence do you want to investigate? Which study designs can be used?
· Short presentation (10'): Primary and secondary data sources in adherence research. (Monique Elseviers, Belgium)
· Discussion in groups (15'): Where do we find the data? How to define the right outcomes to measure adherence? How can we identify users of technologies?
· Short presentation (10'): Bias and confounding in studies of digital technologies (Björn Wettermark)
· Discussion in groups (15'): How do we address bias and confounding in studies of digital technologies in medication adherence?
· Summary of key learnings and short presentations of protocol templates (15') (workshop chairs + facilitators)

Presenting Author(s)

Bjorn Wettermark, MPharm, FISPE

professor
University of Uppsala
Uppsala, Sweden

Slides

Author(s)

CG

Cristina Ghiciuc

Grigore T. Popa University of Medicine and Pharmacy, Romania, Romania

Slides
Job FM Van Boven, PharmD, PhD

Assistant Professor
University Medical Center Groningen
Groningen, Groningen, Netherlands

Slides
ME

Monique Elseviers

University of Antwerp, Belgium, Belgium

Slides
GH

Gaye Hafez

Altınbaş University Faculty of Pharmacy, Istanbul, Turkey, Turkey
CG

Catherine Goetzinger

Luxembourg Institute of Health, Luxembourg, Luxembourg
Maria Herdeiro

Prof.
University of Aveiro
Aveiro, Portugal
EM

Enrica Menditto

CIRFF, Center of Pharmacoeconomics and Drug utilization Research, Department of Pharmacy, University of Naples Federico II, Naples, Italy, Italy
FL

Francisca Leiva-Fernandez

Andalusian Health Service/University of Malaga, Spain, Spain
MD

Maria Dimitrova

Faculty of Pharmacy, Medical University of Sofia, Bulgaria, Bulgaria
ZK

Zorana Kovačević

University of Novi Sad, Serbia, Serbia
VA

Virginia Aguiar Leiva

University of Malaga, Spain, Spain