Hepatitis C virus (HCV) infection is a very important health problem worldwide. Majority of the estimated 160 million people infected globally are unaware of their affliction [1]. It is a leading cause of chronic hepatitis, liver cirrhosis, and hepatocellular carcinoma. In the United States alone, HCV infection is the most common chronic blood-borne infection, affecting about 3.2 million individuals The study will look at real-time adherence monitoring with Portal-724 MEMS cap. It integrates medication bottle, Smart Cap, Pill Dispenser, Embedded Computer, Embedded Cellular Modem and Tamper Proof apparatus. This device is capable of transmitting pill dispensing events from the patient's home to the Cloud over Cellular and IP networks. The transmission is done in real time if cellular coverage is above 1-bar, but if the cell signal is not available or if the signal is below the threshold, then the device Store-and-Forward feature is automatically activated. The patient will be randomized to real-time monitoring or to have monitoring data download monthly at each study visit while taking hepatitis C medications
The study will look at real-time adherence monitoring with Portal-724 MEMS cap. It integrates medication bottle, Smart Cap, Pill Dispenser, Embedded Computer, Embedded Cellular Modem and Tamper Proof apparatus. This device is capable of transmitting pill dispensing events from the patient's home to the Cloud over Cellular and IP networks. The transmission is done in real time if cellular coverage is above 1-bar, but if the cell signal is not available or if the signal is below the threshold, then the device Store-and-Forward feature is automatically activated. The patient will be randomized to real-time monitoring or to have monitoring data download monthly at each study visit while taking hepatitis C medications