Daily Text Message Assessments of 6-mercaptopurine Adherence and Its Proximal Contexts in Adolescents and Young Adults with Leukemia: A Pilot Study

Background: This pilot study explored the feasibility and acceptability of implementing text-based assessments of oral chemotherapy adherence in adolescents and young adults (AYA) with leukemia.

Methods: AYA prescribed maintenance 6-mercaptopurine (6MP) received daily text message surveys and utilized an electronic pill bottle for 28 days. Text surveys assessed 6MP adherence and contextual associates (eg, mood). Feasibility was defined by recruitment/retention rates, survey completion rates, cost, and technical issues. After the 28-day period, AYA completed an acceptability survey. Secondary analyses compared text survey and electronic pill bottle adherence rates, and explored the daily associations between contextual factors and 6MP nonadherence.

Results: Eighteen AYA enrolled (M age = 18, range 15-22) and completed study procedures (100% recruitment and retention rates). Adherence survey completion rates were high (M = 88.9%), the technology cost was $204.00, and there were few technical issues. AYA reported high satisfaction with the surveys and perceived them as a helpful medication reminder. While not significantly correlated, survey and electronic pill bottle adherence data converged on the majority of days (>90%). Exploratory analyses showed that AYA were more likely to miss a dose of 6MP on weekends (OR = 2.33, P = .048) and on days when their adherence motivation (OR = 0.28, P = .047) and negative affect (OR = 3.92, P = .02) worsened from their own typical functioning.

Conclusions: For AYA with leukemia, daily text-based surveys are a feasible and acceptable method for delivering medication adherence assessments, and may operate as a short-term intervention. To develop personalized mobile health interventions, findings also highlighted the need to study time-varying predictors of 6MP nonadherence.