The Daily OrangeTextual healing
Company uses text-message reminders to ensure patients take medication
By Sara Tracey
Posted: 11/9/09, 3:40 AM EST Section: News
Text messages can now save lives, thanks to Serge Loncar's new company.
Loncar is the founder and chief executive office of CareSpeak Communications, a health communication company. Created in 2007, CareSpeak sends text messages to registered users reminding them to take their medication. The results of a study using Loncar's system were published in October's issue of the medical journal Pediatrics.
"Your personal cell phone is the thing you always carry with you. It's a great tool for people to manage their health," Loncar said.
Loncar originally developed the company for diabetics, but has expanded it to include anyone with a chronic illness that requires medication or anyone taking a regular medication, from birth control to inhalers for asthma patients.
A user would register for the text messages on the CareSpeak Web site with their phone numbers, the specific medication they're taking and what times they want to receive a reminder.
For Loncar's diabetic users, their glucose levels can also be recorded online through the text messages. CareSpeak developed a chart that tracks the trends in patient's blood sugar levels. This is convenient for doctor visits, Loncar said, because the charts can be printed out.
Loncar said the company is trying to improve patients' compliance - the amount that a patient sticks to advice from their physicians, namely the routine that patients take their medication, he said.
"If you look at how compliant people are on their medication, up to 50 percent stop their drug therapy within the first 45 days," Loncar said.
Tamir Miloh, assistant professor of pediatrics and surgery at Mount Sinai Medical Center in New York City, wanted to measure the compliance of his young liver transplant patients. He conducted a study in 2008 using Loncar's text message system.
"As soon as patients hit puberty, they felt that they were untouchable. They also have very busy lives. They would stop taking their medications," Miloh said.
Loncar is the founder and chief executive office of CareSpeak Communications, a health communication company. Created in 2007, CareSpeak sends text messages to registered users reminding them to take their medication. The results of a study using Loncar's system were published in October's issue of the medical journal Pediatrics.
"Your personal cell phone is the thing you always carry with you. It's a great tool for people to manage their health," Loncar said.
Loncar originally developed the company for diabetics, but has expanded it to include anyone with a chronic illness that requires medication or anyone taking a regular medication, from birth control to inhalers for asthma patients.
A user would register for the text messages on the CareSpeak Web site with their phone numbers, the specific medication they're taking and what times they want to receive a reminder.
For Loncar's diabetic users, their glucose levels can also be recorded online through the text messages. CareSpeak developed a chart that tracks the trends in patient's blood sugar levels. This is convenient for doctor visits, Loncar said, because the charts can be printed out.
Loncar said the company is trying to improve patients' compliance - the amount that a patient sticks to advice from their physicians, namely the routine that patients take their medication, he said.
"If you look at how compliant people are on their medication, up to 50 percent stop their drug therapy within the first 45 days," Loncar said.
Tamir Miloh, assistant professor of pediatrics and surgery at Mount Sinai Medical Center in New York City, wanted to measure the compliance of his young liver transplant patients. He conducted a study in 2008 using Loncar's text message system.
"As soon as patients hit puberty, they felt that they were untouchable. They also have very busy lives. They would stop taking their medications," Miloh said.
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