Effect of text message reminders on treatment adherence and retention in care among hypertensive patients in a tertiary hospital in Jos, Plateau State

Abstract Aim Despite effective antihypertensive medications, poor medication adherence and retention in care contribute to uncontrolled blood pressure. This study aimed to assess the effect of text message reminders on medication adherence and retention in care among hypertensive patients in a tertiary hospital in Jos, Nigeria. Materials and methods This were a hospital-based quasi-experimental study. Hypertensive patients in the Cardiology (intervention group) and Nephrology (control group) clinics of Jos University Teaching Hospital, selected through a multi-stage sampling technique, had their treatment adherence and retention in care assessed at pre- and post-intervention period of six months. Data collected using a semi-structured interviewer-administered questionnaire were analysed using the Statistical Product and Services Solution version 23. McNemar’s test was used to assess effects of text message reminders on treatment adherence and retention in care. A p-value < 0.05 was considered statistically significant. Results At baseline, treatment adherence was 40.5% and 46.0% in the intervention and control groups respectively with the odds of adherence in the intervention group being 0.8 times that of the control group (95% C.I. = 0.48–1.31). Retention in care was 91.3% and 96.9% in the intervention and control groups respectively with the odds of retention in the intervention group being 0.34 times that of the control group (95% C.I. = 0.11–1.11). Post intervention, treatment adherence was 47.8% and 34.2% in the intervention and control groups respectively with the odds of treatment adherence in the intervention group being 1.77 times the odds of adherence in the control group (95% C.I. = 0.95–3.28). Retention in care was 60.9% and 63.3% in the intervention and control groups respectively. Conclusion Low treatment adherence and high retention rates were recorded among hypertensive patients. Text message reminders improved adherence but decreased retention, highlighting the need to optimize their use to improve both outcomes at Jos University Teaching Hospital.