What is the best way to measure medication adherence?
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Explore the source record for details and available documents.
Explore the source record for details and available documents.
Explore the source record for details and available documents.
Explore the source record for details and available documents.
Explore the source record for details and available documents.
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OBJECTIVE: To investigate whether responses to a previously validated four-item medication adherence questionnaire were associated with adverse cardiovascular events. DESIGN: Survey conducted among a cohort of participants in the Second Australian National Blood Pressure Study. SETTING: Australian general practice. PARTICIPANTS: 4039 older people with hypertension. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES: All major cardiovascular events or death; first specific cardiovascular event. RESULTS: Subjects who adhered to their medication regimen (compared with non-adherent subjects) were significantly less likely to experience a first cardiovascular event or a first non-fatal cardiovascular event (hazard ratio [HR] for both, 0.81; 95% CI, 0.67-0.98; P = 0.03); a fatal other cardiovascular event (HR, 0.68; 95% CI, 0.48-0.99; P = 0.04); or a first occurrence of heart failure (HR, 0.58; 95% CI, 0.37-0.90; P = 0.02). Those who answered yes to "Did you ever forget to take your medication?" were significantly more likely to experience a cardiovascular event or death (HR, 1.28; 95% CI, 1.04-1.57; P = 0.02); a first cardiovascular event or death (HR, 1.31; 95% CI, 1.07-1.60; P = 0.01); a first cardiovascular event (HR, 1.34; 95% CI, 1.09-1.65; P = 0.01); or a first non-fatal cardiovascular event (HR, 1.35; 95% CI, 1.09-1.66; P = 0.01). Those who answered yes to "Sometimes, if you felt worse when you took your medicine, did you stop taking it?" were significantly more likely to experience a first occurrence of heart failure (HR, 2.06; 95% CI, 1.16-3.64; P = 0.01). CONCLUSIONS: Subjects who adhered to their medication regimen were less likely to experience major cardiovascular events or death. The question relating to forgetting to take medication identified non-adherent subjects likely to experience a cardiovascular event or death. Clinicians could use this question to identify patients with hypertension who are likely to benefit from medication adherence strategies.
Factors related to medication adherence were studied in 35 pediatric seizure patients at a public hospital serving primarily low-income minority patients. Adherence ratings by pediatric neurologists were based primarily on three blood assays drawn at monthly intervals and patients were rated as adherent on 1, 2, or 3 visits. Parent and child satisfaction with medical care was associated with greater adherence. Parental worry about the child's health was positively correlated with the number of behavioral restrictions placed on the child, and both variables were negatively related to adherence. The authors hypothesize that anxiety-based denial and perceived threats to patient autonomy may interfere with medication adherence. Implications for the development of intervention strategies for improving adherence among pediatric seizure patients are discussed.
The purpose of this study was to determine the reliability of screening for medication adherence in HIV-infected children. The results suggest that caregivers who are unable to describe the medication regimen or who are nonadherent with appointments are unlikely to adhere to the medication regimen. Adherence with at least 90% of medication doses was associated with a virologic response.
BACKGROUND: Patients with depression are often nonadherent to therapy for depression and chronic comorbid conditions. METHODS: To determine whether improved antidepressant medication adherence is associated with an increased likelihood of chronic comorbid disease medication adherence and reduced medical costs, we conducted a retrospective study of patients initiating antidepressant drug therapy with evidence of dyslipidemia, coronary artery disease (CAD), or both; diabetes mellitus (DM); or CAD/dyslipidemia and DM identified from a claims database. Measures included antidepressant medication adherence, measured by medication possession ratio during 180 days without a 15-day gap before 90 days of therapy; comorbid medication adherence, measured by medication possession ratio during 1 year; and the association between improved antidepressant drug adherence and disease-specific and total medical costs. RESULTS: Of 8040 patients meeting the study criteria, those adherent to antidepressant medication were more likely to be adherent to comorbid therapy vs those nonadherent to antidepressant drug therapy (CAD/dyslipidemia: odds ratio [OR], 2.13; DM: OR, 1.82; and CAD/dyslipidemia/DM: OR, 1.45; P<.001 for all). Patients adherent to antidepressant drug therapy also had significantly lower disease-specific charges vs nonadherent patients (17% lower in CAD/dyslipidemia, P = .02; 8% lower in DM, P = .39; and 14% lower in CAD/dyslipidemia/DM, P = .38). These patients also incurred lower total medical charges (6.4% lower in CAD/dyslipidemia, P = .048; 11.8% lower in DM, P = .04; and 19.8% lower in CAD/dyslipidemia/DM, P = .03). CONCLUSIONS: Antidepressant drug adherence was associated with increased comorbid disease medication adherence and reduced total medical costs for CAD/dyslipidemia, DM, and CAD/dyslipidemia/DM. Future studies should investigate the relationship between increased adherence and costs beyond 1 year.
Adherence to antiretroviral therapy is critical for treatment success. Antiretroviral therapy typically requires multiple pills at multiple dosing times. To address this, we tested the feasibility, utility, and efficacy of a customizable reminder system using pagers, which were programmed using web-based technology, to increase and maintain proper adherence in patients with pre-existing adherence problems. After a two-week monitoring period with an electronic pill-cap, participants with less than 90% adherence were randomized to continue monitoring or to receive a pager. The group who received the pagers had greater improvements in adherence from baseline to Week 2 and Week 12 than those who monitored their medications only. However, adherence in both groups at the outcome assessments points was still poor. While the provision of a reminder system helped improve adherence, it is likely that more intensive interventions are required for patients with pre-existing problems.
Adherence with psychotropic medication is at least at poor as adherence with medication for physical health problems. There has been an assumption this was due to loss of insight resulting from psychiatric disorders themselves. Consequently, interventions have focussed on treating the underlying psychiatric disorder and generating psychological strategies to promote awareness. Recent surveys of patient preferences for information and involvement in health care decisions highlight that most individuals want to participate in the process of medical care. Patients often have strong pre-existing beliefs about different therapeutic options. This is supported by the self-determination theory which distinguishes between autonomous behaviour and behaviours that are influenced by external forces. When considering the patient perspective in medication adherence, it is useful to consider the self-medication hypothesis. This can equally be applied to prescribed and non-prescribed drugs. The self-medication hypothesis states that patients decide to start, adjust or stop prescribed medication according to perceived health needs. Such decisions are often conducted intentionally and rationally, given the information available to the patient and their understanding of their condition. In this narrative review, the evidence for and against intentionality in psychotropic adherence behaviour is examined. Studies of compliance and related predictors are examined in depression, schizophrenia and bipolar affective disorder. Results suggest that although concordance depends on patient, illness and clinician factors, patient choice is usually the final common pathway. Illness severity and insight is important in some cases but can act in concert with cognitive factors. Individuals appear to prefer to take medication "as required" (symptomatically) rather than prophylactically. Significant influences upon self-medication habits are prior health beliefs, medication attitudes, adverse effects and adequacy of communication from the health care professional. The self-medication hypothesis applied to prescribed psychotropic medication should assist rather than heed clinicians in improving adherence by taking a patient centred approach and where possible promoting patient autonomy.
OBJECTIVE: To evaluate barriers to and strategies for medication adherence and predictors of adherence and the primary outcome in the Diabetes Prevention Program (DPP). RESEARCH DESIGN AND METHODS: Within a randomized, controlled primary prevention study for type 2 diabetes, we collected data on study medication adherence, its predictors, and health outcomes in 27 clinical centers across mainland U.S. and Hawaii. Medication arm participants included 2,155 adults with impaired glucose tolerance randomly assigned to either metformin or matched placebo treatment arms. Structured interviews were used to promote medication adherence and to collect data regarding adherence. Adherence was measured by pill count. The primary DPP outcome of type 2 diabetes was assessed by fasting plasma glucose and oral glucose tolerance test. RESULTS: Older age-groups were more adherent than the youngest group (P = 0.01) in the metformin group. The most frequently reported barrier to adherence was "forgetting" (22%). Women reported more adverse effects of metformin (15 vs. 10%, P = 0.002) in the metformin group. Odds of nonadherence increased as participants reported more than one barrier (odds ratio 19.1, P < 0.001). Odds of adherence increased as participants reported multiple strategies to take medication (2.69, P < 0.0001). There was a 38.2% risk reduction for developing diabetes for those adherent to metformin compared with those adherent to placebo (P < 0.0003). CONCLUSIONS: DPP medication adherence results are unique in primary prevention for a chronic disease in a large multiethnic sample. Our finding that adherence was associated with risk reduction for diabetes supports the development of brief interventions in clinical settings where medication adherence is a challenge.
BACKGROUND: Patients with diabetes and ischemic heart disease (IHD) are at high risk for adverse cardiac outcomes. Clinical practice guidelines recommend multiple cardioprotective medications to reduce recurrent events. We evaluated the association between cardioprotective medication adherence and mortality among patients with diabetes and IHD. METHODS: In a retrospective cohort study of 3,998 patients with diabetes and IHD, we evaluated use of ACE inhibitors or angiotensin receptor blockers, beta-blockers, and statin medications. Receipt of cardioprotective medications was based on filled prescriptions. Medication adherence was calculated as the proportion of days covered (PDC) for filled prescriptions. The primary outcome of interest was all-cause mortality. RESULTS: The majority of patients (92.8%) received at least 1 cardioprotective medication. Patients receiving any medications had lower unadjusted mortality rates compared to patients not receiving any medications (7.9% vs. 11.5%; p = 0.03). In multivariable analysis, receipt of any cardioprotective medication remained associated with lower all-cause mortality (OR 0.65; 95% CI 0.43-0.99). Among patients receiving cardioprotective medications, the majority (80.3%) were adherent (PDC > or = 0.80). Adherent patients had lower unadjusted mortality rates (6.7% vs. 12.1%; p < 0.01). In multivariable analysis, medication adherence remained associated with lower all-cause mortality (OR 0.52; 95% CI 0.39-0.69) compared to non-adherence. In contrast, there was no mortality difference between patients receiving cardioprotective medications who were non-adherent compared to patients not receiving any medications (OR 1.01; 95% CI 0.64-1.61). CONCLUSION: In conclusion, medication adherence is associated with improved outcomes among patients with diabetes and IHD. Quality improvement interventions are needed to increase medication adherence in order for patients to maximize the benefit of cardioprotective medications.
HIV medication adherence remains a challenge and limits the degree to which treatment benefit can be maximized. This study tested an explanatory model of HIV medication adherence using a social problem-solving (SPS) framework. Associations of SPS with adherence are hypothesized to be direct and/or indirect via psychological health. HIV+ adults were interviewed using validated measures of SPS, psychological health, and antiretroviral therapy (ART) medication adherence. Structural equation modeling (SEM) techniques were used to test hypothesized relationships and to evaluate overall fit of the model to the data. SEM supported an indirect association (but not direct) of SPS on adherence via psychological health among the 545 HIV+ adults included in the analyses. Overall, the findings resulted in a model of adherence that offered very good fit to the data and correctly classified 97% of the cases as adherent versus nonadherent. Results support the use of SPS as a conceptual framework for understanding adherence to ART. Findings offer rationale and direction for SPS interventions to enhance adherence by improving psychological health. Such approaches, if effective, have the potential to positively impact psychological well being and adherence, thereby maximizing clinical benefit from treatment, which is linked to lower mortality from AIDS.