Use of digital technology tools to characterize patient adherence to prescription-grade omega-3 polyunsaturated fatty acid therapy: Primary results of the DIAPAsOn prospective observational study

Background, objectives and methods DIAPAsOn was a 6-month prospective observational multicenter study in the Russian Federation that examined adherence to a preparation of highly purified omega-3 polyunsaturated fatty acids (OMACOR) in adult patients with a history of recent myocardial infarction or endogenous hypertriglyceridemia. A full description of the study’s aims and methods has appeared in JMIR Res Protoc. A feature of DIAPAsOn was the use of a bespoke electronic patient engagement and data collection system. Results The net average reduction from baseline in both total and low-density lipoprotein cholesterol was approximately 1 mmol/L and the net average increment in high-density lipoprotein cholesterol was 0.2±0.53 mmol/L. Mean triglyceride levels declined by ∼1.3 mmol/, from an initial level of 2.99±1.29 mmol/L to 1.67± 0.67 mmol/L. The percentage of patients with triglyceride <1.7 mmol/L rose from 13.1% at baseline to 54% at study-end. Digital reporting of adherence was registered by 8.3% of patients (n=180) and average scores indicted poor adherence. However, clinic-based enquiry suggested high levels of adherence. Data on health-related quality of life accrued from digitally-engaged patients identified improvements among patients reporting high adherence to study treatment, but patient numbers were small. Conclusions The lipid and lipoprotein findings indicate that OMACOR had nominally favorable effects on the blood lipid profile. Less than 10% of patients enrolled in DIAPAsOn used the bespoke digital platform piloted in the study and the level of self-reported adherence to medication by those patients was also low. Reasons for this low uptake and adherence are unclear. Better adherence was recorded by clinical report.