Footnotes

• Contributors This editorial was written by AJA, J-PC, NM and PP and based on the systematic review planned, conducted and reported by them and other authors.

• Funding The authors have not declared a specific grant for this research from any funding agency in the public, commercial or not-for-profit sectors.

• Competing interests PP has received a grant from the Medical Research Council (MRC) to develop a pilot trial to evaluate efficacy of text message to improve adherence to cardiovascular medications in secondary prevention. J-PC is the primary supervisor of a PhD student funded through an Industrial Case Engineering and Physical Sciences Research Council (EPSRC) studentship, where the industrial partner is Glaxo Smith Kline (GSK) .

• Patient consent Not required.

• Provenance and peer review Commissioned; externally peer reviewed.