Advancing Medication Safety and Adherence in Chronic Disease Management: Design and Implementation of the Ncare mHealth Application
TL;DR
The Ncare app presents a promising solution to medication management challenges in chronic disease care through user-centred design and preventive care features that minimizes cognitive and physical burdens while supporting patient autonomy and safety.
Abstract
Background: Chronic conditions often require complex, multi-drug regimens that are challenging to adhere to and carry risks of adverse drug interactions. Medication non-adherence and safety issues are particularly common among the elderly and individuals with low digital or health literacy. Addressing these challenges requires user-centred, accessible, and intelligent digital interventions. The Ncare mobile health (mHealth) application was developed to support medication safety and adherence in chronic disease management. Methods: Key features include automated medication reminders, Optical Character Recognition (OCR) for simplified data entry, and a real-time drug interaction checker. The app design emphasizes accessibility through clean layout, large icons, minimal text, and reduced manual input, allowing users to scan medication labels rather than type them. Ncare integrates core health behavior models—Technology Acceptance Model, Health Belief Model, and Social Cognitive Theory—to promote ease of use, perceived usefulness, risk awareness, and self-efficacy. Results: Although quantitative adherence data for Ncare have not yet been collected, the application incorporates evidence-based features known to enhance self-management, including timely reminders and clear usage instructions. These features are expected to reduce missed doses and prevent dosing errors. The real-time interaction checker provides alerts for harmful drug–drug and drug–food interactions, which are significant contributors to hospitalizations among patients with polypharmacy. Ncare’s proactive warnings support patient safety and may contribute to cost savings by preventing emergency visits and readmissions. Conclusions: The Ncare app presents a promising solution to medication management challenges in chronic disease care. Its accessible and intelligent design minimizes cognitive and physical burdens while supporting patient autonomy and safety. While limitations such as dependence on internet-based databases and the need for additional features for users with disabilities remain, the app establishes a strong foundation for further development and real-world testing. Ncare highlights the potential of mHealth tools to transform chronic disease management through user-centred design and preventive care features.