Evidence map›Paper›PMID 42157164›Full record

Trial reportBMC psychiatry2026

Feasibility and preliminary effectiveness of electronic medication monitoring system to improve antipsychotic adherence: a type 1 effectiveness-implementation hybrid pilot study.

Run Sherry Wang, Huanyu Hu, Mengjun Zhang, Wei Li, Mingsong Li, Guangyu Tong, Saimei Luo, Hui Wang, Birong Yang, Zhaojun Zuo and 12 more

Abstract readRandomized Controlled Trial
In one paragraph

Trial report in BMC psychiatry, 2026. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Not yet cited in PubMed.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
0citing papers in PubMed
–field-weighted citation impact
1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.

The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.

2 · The registry

The trial behind it

Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.

Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.

3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

0 citing papers in PubMed.

No citing paper in PubMed yet.

4 · The record

Corrections and comments

PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

22 authors.

Run Sherry Wang *Dermatology Hospital and Institute for Global Health (SIGHT), Southern Medical University, Guangzhou, China.
Huanyu Hu *School of Public Health, Southern Medical University, Guangzhou, China.
Mengjun Zhang *Shenzhen Hospital of Southern Medical University, ShenZhen, China.
Wei LiBaoshan College of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Baoshan, China.
Mingsong LiBaoshan Center for Disease Control and Prevention, Baoshan, China.
Guangyu TongYale School of Medicine, New Haven, CT, USA.
Saimei LuoBaoshan College of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Baoshan, China.
Hui WangBaoshan Center for Disease Control and Prevention, Baoshan, China.
Birong YangBaoshan College of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Baoshan, China.
Zhaojun ZuoWafang Township Hospitals, Baoshan, China.
Chenyun WangYouwang Township Hospitals, Baoshan, China.
Zhengxu LiBaoshan Center for Disease Control and Prevention, Baoshan, China.
Xintian LongBaoshan College of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Baoshan, China.
Le XuBeijing Eighty School, Beijing, China.
Julius NiyibiziSchool of Public Health, Southern Medical University, Guangzhou, China.
Rui ZhaoShenzhen Hospital of Southern Medical University, ShenZhen, China.
Yingqi WangSchool of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Southern Medical University, Guangzhou, China.
Bohan LiSchool of Health Management, Southern Medical University, Guangzhou, China.
Yaoming TianSchool of Health Management, Southern Medical University, Guangzhou, China.
Yu TangSchool of Public Health, Southern Medical University, Guangzhou, China.
Teng ZhangBaoshan College of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Baoshan, China. 383910587@qq.com.
Dong Roman XuDermatology Hospital and Institute for Global Health (SIGHT), Southern Medical University, Guangzhou, China. romanxu@i.smu.edu.cn.

Funding

the Swiss Agency for Development and Cooperation (SDC) 81067392
6 · The paper itself

Abstract

backgroundSchizophrenia is a severe mental disorder characterized by widespread poor medication adherence, which impacts treatment outcomes and quality of life. In rural China, despite the national Severe Mental Illness Management System, day-to-day adherence monitoring still relies largely on family supervision and self-report, creating gaps in early detection of non-adherence.

objectiveTo assess the preliminary effectiveness, feasibility, and acceptability of an electronic Medication Event Monitoring System (MEMS) pillbox to improve antipsychotic adherence among community-dwelling adults with schizophrenia in rural China.

methodsWe conducted a two-month pilot randomized wait-list controlled trial in two townships in Yunnan Province. Twenty-eight patients were identified via purposive sampling and then individually randomly assigned (1:1) to either the intervention group (active MEMS pillbox) or the control group (deactivated pillbox for Month 1, then activated for Month 2) via a computer-generated random sequence. The primary outcome was medication adherence, secondary outcomes included symptom severity, functional status, adverse effects and attitudes toward medication. We also conducted rapid qualitative research, analyzed using the Consolidated Framework for Implementation Research (CFIR), to assess feasibility and acceptability.

resultsAt month 1, the intervention group showed higher daily and dose adherence rates than the control group, although these differences did not reach statistically significant. In contrast, self-reported adherence (measured by BARS) and medication attitudes (measured by DAI-10) showed significant improvements over time in both groups. No serious adverse events, psychiatric rehospitalizations, or clinical relapses occurred in either group during the study. Qualitative findings showed high technical acceptance but revealed declining provider motivation over time and systemic performance appraisal pressures as key implementation barriers.

conclusionsThis pilot study provides preliminary evidence of the technical feasibility of MEMS for schizophrenia care in rural area; however, given the limited sample size, the findings should be viewed as hypothesis-generating rather than confirmatory. While technically feasible, the broader applicability of MEMS is constrained by organizational and systemic barriers. Future larger-scale trials with extended follow-up are necessary to evaluate long-term sustainability and scalability.

trial registrationChinese Clinical Trial Registry, ChiCTR2500102022. Retrospectively registered on 7 May 2025.

Indexed as

Antipsychotic AgentsDrug MonitoringMedication AdherenceSchizophreniaAdherence InterventionsAdultChinaFeasibility StudiesFemaleHumansMaleMiddle AgedPilot ProjectsRemote Patient MonitoringRural PopulationAntipsychotic AgentsElectronic medication monitoringImplementation scienceMedication adherencePrimary carePsychiatric nursingRandomized controlled trialSchizophrenia

Identifiers

PMID42157164
PMCPMC13393941

What Socratic holds

Textmetadata
LicenceCC BY-NC-ND
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Registered trials

None linked

Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the Socratic graph.