Text reminders may help heart failure patients avoid readmission

• A new study suggests that receiving personalized SMS text “nudges” about prescriptions could help improve medication adherence and reduce readmission.
• The study involved heart failure patients at Magnolia Regional Health Center, addressing a critical gap in heart failure care.
• The retrospective analysis indicates strong acceptance of the intervention among a majority of participants, with benefits for adherence.

Heart failure (HF) is the inability of the heart to pump enough blood around the body. According to research, the lifetime risk of HF is increasing, and roughly 1 in 4 persons will develop HF in their lifetime.

A doctor can prescribe a variety of medications for HF. However, medication nonadherence represents a common problem that can compromise health. Studies from 2023 and 2025 both highlight inadequate adherence to HF medication, with 47% and 43.6% of individuals, respectively, not taking HF medication as prescribed.

“Medication nonadherence is a major and underappreciated problem in heart failure care,” Kevin Shah, MD, board certified cardiologist and Program Director of Heart Failure Outreach at MemorialCare Heart & Vascular Institute at Long Beach Medical Center in Long Beach, CA, who was not involved in the study, told Medical News Today.

“Even when we prescribe highly effective therapies, many patients struggle to take them consistently or to refill them on time. The consequences are significant. Heart failure is a condition where small lapses in therapy can translate into worsening symptoms…adherence is a core part of effective heart failure treatment.”

A collaborative study by Magnolia Regional Health Center in Mississippi and health technology company DrFirst, suggests that automated text message reminders may help people with HF better manage their medications and reduce the risk of returning to the hospital shortly after discharge.

The retrospective analysis was recently published in PLOS Digital Health.