Bluetooth tech helps therapy adherence.

• Position: Cystic Fibrosis - Brief article

According to the Cystic Fibrosis Foundation Patient Registry, more than 70,000 people worldwide are suffering from the disease, with approximately 1,000 new cases diagnosed each year in the U.S. Adherence to inhaled and oral therapies for cystic fibrosis patients is discouragingly low, ranging from 31% to 35% for inhaled antibiotics. Programs to enhance adherence have had mixed results. However, a pilot study from Ventura County (Calif.) Medical Center shows remarkable improvement in adherence using Bluetooth technology.

For 28 days, patients used a Bluetooth-enabled medication delivery and monitoring tool called eRapid. The clinic used the technology to gain rapid feedback on nebulizer use and employed the data to reward patients for adherence as a depression intervention method.

Results not only showed 80%...