Patient Preference and Adherence (Sep 2022)
Pre COVID-19 Pandemic Use of Telemedicine for Adherence Promotion in Patients with Psychotic Disorders: A Literature Review
Abstract
Alyssa M Edwards,1 Jordan C Petitt,1 Sanjana Kumar,1 Jennifer B Levin,1,2 Martha Sajatovic1,2 1Case Western Reserve University School of Medicine, Cleveland, OH, USA; 2University Hospitals of Cleveland Medical Center, Department of Psychiatry, Cleveland, OH, USACorrespondence: Martha Sajatovic, University Hospitals of Cleveland Medical Center, Department of Psychiatry, 10524 Euclid Ave, Cleveland, OH, 44106, USA, Email [email protected]: Given the increasing use of telepsychiatry and to serve as a reference point informing future research, our team evaluated the literature on the use of telepsychiatry for medication adherence promotion prior to the COVID-19 pandemic among patients with psychotic disorders.Methods: A search of PubMed, Cochrane, Web of Science, CINAHL, and PsycINFO was conducted using PRISMA guidelines to identify telepsychiatry interventions to enhance medication adherence in patients with primary psychotic disorders. Both quantitative and qualitative data were extracted from the identified articles including study characteristics, interventions, and outcomes.Results: In total, 230 articles were obtained through electronic literature search, and 4 articles were eventually retained that met inclusion criteria. All 4 articles were randomized controlled trials, were adjuncts to in-person usual care, used telephone platforms and targeted medication adherence. Compared to treatment as usual, 3 out of 4 studies found medication adherence was improved and 2 out of 4 studies found improved medication attitudes. Telepsychiatry appeared to be acceptable to patients with psychotic disorders.Discussion: In the pre-Covid-19 literature, telepsychiatry appears promising as an adjunct to usual care for increasing medication adherence among individuals with schizophrenia/schizoaffective disorder. However, given the limited number of papers and exclusive use on telephone-only to deliver telepsychiatry, additional research specific to telepsychiatry for patients with psychosis is needed.Keywords: telemedicine, telehealth, telepsychiatry, remote delivery, virtual delivery, schizophrenia, schizoaffective disorder
