Patients who used an online patient portal to refill their prescriptions showed higher levels of medication adherence and improved outcomes, according to a study in Medical Care.
Researchers at Oakland, Calif.-based Kaiser Permanente measured statin adherence among 8,705 diabetic patients before and after the patients began using an online portal to refill their prescriptions. A group of 9,055 diabetic patients who never used the online refill function were used as controls.
Results showed medication adherence improved among patients who used the online portal, as non-adherence declined by 6 percent among patients who used the portal exclusively. These patients also saw improved outcomes in the form of decreases in their LDL cholesterol.
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