The Impact of Text Messaging on Medication Adherence and Exercise Regimen Among Post-myocardial Infarction Patients

The Impact of Text Messaging on Medication Adherence and Exercise Regimen among Post-Myocardial Infarction Patients includes two single-center randomized control trials to assess the impact of text message reminds on adherence to medications and exercise regimen in patients recently discharged from the hospital after MI.

Recruitment conducted at Cambridge Cardiac Rehabilitation in Ontario, Canada for both the medication adherence and exercise trial. Potential study subjects are evaluated for inclusion and exclusion criteria, give written informed consent, and are randomized, in a 1:1 ratio, to either intervention or usual care (control).

Patients randomized to the intervention arm in the medication adherence trial receive an automated text message once per day at the time they are prescribed to take their medication. The text message does not contain any personal or pharmacological information.

Patients randomized to the intervention arm in the exercise adherence trial receive four text messages per day at 7:30 am, 12:00 pm, 6:00 pm, and 9:00 pm, reminding them to exercise for 30 minutes per day as per their health care provider.

Inclusion criteria

• Post-MI hospital discharge within 2 weeks
• Enrolled in cardiac rehabilitation
• Prescribed anti-platelets, beta-blockers, ACE-inhibitors or ARBs, and/or statins on 1x/day regimen (for medication adherence trial)
• Prescribed exercise regimen (for exercise trial)
• Ability to read and write English
• Possession of a cell phone with text messaging capability

Exclusion criteria

• Age < 18
• Incarcerated individuals
• Unable to read and write English
• Not in possession of a cell phone
• Patients prescribed medication regimen > 1x/day