Effectiveness of Digital Marketing Strategies to Improve Adherence to Chronic Medications

NCT06599333 | Completed

• 1 other identifier: 18/24/D
• Study Type: observational
• Target: 192
• Locations: 1 country
• Sites: 1

Brief Summary

In the Middle East, particularly Lebanon, the adoption of digital health interventions has been growing. Mobile health (mHealth) platforms, social media campaigns, and telemedicine services are being integrated into healthcare systems. However, while digital marketing for health promotion is gaining traction globally, few studies have specifically examined its impact on medication adherence in Lebanon. The e-MedAL Study aims to fill this gap by evaluating whether tailored digital marketing strategies can foster better adherence among patients with chronic diseases, taking into account the local healthcare infrastructure and cultural context. Lebanon faces unique challenges in managing chronic diseases due to its healthcare system, which is fragmented and highly privatized. The ongoing economic crisis, coupled with the COVID-19 pandemic, has placed additional stress on healthcare delivery, making it difficult for patients to maintain consistent access to medications. Moreover, the high cost of chronic medications, coupled with the population\'s general reliance on out-of-pocket expenditures, contributes to non-adherence. Exploring cost-effective and scalable interventions like digital marketing becomes vital in this context. Lebanon has a high internet and mobile phone penetration rate, which presents an opportunity for leveraging digital tools to promote health. By utilizing culturally tailored messaging and communication strategies, the e-MedAL Study has the potential to improve medication adherence rates significantly. This, in turn, would alleviate the burden on healthcare resources, enhance patient outcomes, and reduce the economic impact of poorly managed chronic diseases in the country. Furthermore, the success of this initiative could serve as a model for other countries in the region facing similar healthcare challenges. Lebanon's diverse and tech-savvy population makes it an ideal test case for assessing the role of digital marketing in healthcare, particularly in resource-constrained settings.

Conditions

Adherence to Care

Outcome Measures

Primary Outcomes (1)

• Effectiveness of digital marketing strategies

  Correlation between the score of the schemes, in addition to some inter-item correlation assessment, as mentioned earlier, and the participants general characteristics.

  through study completion, an average of 3 months

Study Arms (1)

Patients

Patients coming to community pharmacies and taking at least the same medication for 6 months

Behavioral: Adherence to Care

Interventions

Adherence to Care BEHAVIORAL

Questionnaire to assess the perception and readiness of patients in Lebanon towards the effectiveness of digital marketing strategies to improve their adherence to medications they take chronically The following sections will be considered: * General Characteristics of the Participants * Medical and medication history * Assessment of adherence to chronic medications (Likert scale) * Digital Marketing Strategies to improve adherence to chronic medications (Likert scale) * Perceived barriers to adopting digital marketing strategies in Lebanon (Likert scale)

Patients

Eligibility Criteria

• Age: 18 Years+
• Sex: all
• Healthy Volunteers: No
• Age Groups: Adult (18-64), Older Adult (65+)
• Sampling Method: Non-Probability Sample

Study Population

Patients from the general population residing in Lebanon and taking the same medication for at least six consecutive months

You may qualify if:

• Patients taking the same medication for at least six months
• Lebanese patients
• Those who agree to participate in the study

You may not qualify if:

• Those with electronic illiteracy
• Those who are not themselves responsible for purchasing the medications

Sponsors & Collaborators

• Lebanese University: lead

Study Sites (1)

Lebanese University

Beirut, 0000, Lebanon

Location

Study Officials

• Georges Hatem

  Lebanese University

  PRINCIPAL INVESTIGATOR

Study Design

• Study Type: observational
• Observational Model: CASE ONLY
• Time Perspective: CROSS SECTIONAL
• Sponsor Type: OTHER
• Responsible Party: PRINCIPAL INVESTIGATOR
• PI Title: Associate Clinical and Epidemiological Professor

Study Record Dates

• First Submitted: September 11, 2024
• First Posted: September 19, 2024
• Study Start: July 15, 2024
• Primary Completion: November 15, 2024
• Study Completion: December 30, 2024
• Last Updated: March 4, 2025

Record last verified: 2025-03

Locations

LE (1)