Device reminds
HIV patients to take their medicine

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)