Mobile technology and online tools to track adherence in chronic illness patients

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DESCRIPTION (provided by applicant): With one out of every four youth in the United States currently living with a chronic illness, it is critically important to empower youth to take ownersip of their own healthcare. Research suggests that a key component of a successful transition from pediatric care into adult-focused health care systems is proper management of treatment regimens [1]. Unfortunately, treatment adherence among adolescents with chronic illness is disappointingly low, with poor adherence found in 50-70% of all patients [2]. Reviews of adherence studies indicate the risk of treatment nonadherence declines with greater disease- and treatment-related knowledge and that providing a behavioral management component optimizes adherence [8-10]. The goal of this Phase II SBIR project is to continue the research and development of the Online Medical Monitoring System (OMMS), an integrated online and mobile technology infrastructure specifically designed to (a) enhance youths' disease- and treatment-related knowledge through interactive and game-based educational materials; (b) support adherence to the treatment regimen through customized task prompts via mobile and web-based delivery; and (c) promote patient-provider communication through real-world data collection and synchronized feedback loops. During Phase II, we will build on Phase I feedback to finalize the fully functioning product and conduct a field test examining the degree to which the OMMS enhances treatment adherence outcomes among adolescents with a variety of chronic illnesses. This Phase II project will accomplish three specific aims: 1) fully develop the OMMS product; 2) conduct a field test of the benefits of the OMMS with adolescents with chronic illness; and 3) finalize the OMMS and ready for broad scale commercialization. To our knowledge, the OMMS will be the first technology product that integrates educational, adherence tracking, and patient-provider communication tools into one comprehensive, streamlined package. We expect the OMMS to effectively provide essential information and much needed support to youth with chronic illness to help them successfully negotiate their treatment regimen and transition into self-managed healthcare.