A cell
phone-size device that reminds HIV patients to take
their medications is particularly useful in helping
those with slightly impaired memory to stick to their
dosing regimens, researchers report in the journal
Clinical Infectious Diseases. The portable
Disease Management Assistance System, dubbed
"Jerry" by the Johns Hopkins University
researchers, can be programmed to deliver a voice
reminder to users to tell them when to take their drugs. The
researchers found that among memory-impaired patients, those
who used the system had a 77% adherence rate, compared
with 57% of those who did not. The researchers
conclude that HIV patients who occasionally forget to
take their lifesaving drugs could significantly improve
their adherence rate with consistent use of
devices like "Jerry." (Advocate.com)