Purpose: The purpose of this project was to examine if text message reminders can increase postoperative adherence to treatment with acetaminophen among outpatients undergoing arthroscopic knee surgery.
Design: A nonblinded randomized control trial.
Methods: In this study, 187 patients were randomized to either an intervention group (text message reminders) or a control group (no text message reminders). On the fourth postoperative day, all patients received an electronic questionnaire concerning (1) adherence to treatment with acetaminophen (main outcome), (2) pain intensity, and (3) unscheduled health care contacts.
Findings: Data were available from 134 patients (intervention group, n = 70; control group, n = 64). No significant differences between groups were found regarding the median number of missed acetaminophen doses (1 vs 2.5; P = .06), pain intensity at rest and during walking, or the number of unscheduled health care contacts (7 vs 4; P = .35).
Conclusions: A nonsignificant trend toward an increased medication adherence of acetaminophen was found.
Keywords: medication compliance; postoperative pain; text message reminder; unscheduled contact.
Copyright © 2018 American Society of PeriAnesthesia Nurses. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.