Medication Adherence

Chemoradiotherapy (CHRT) is often advocated for locally-advanced biliary tract cancer (LABTC). However there was not comparative study with chemotherapy alone (CH). Patients with hilar or extrahepatic non-metastatic, LABTC could be included in this phase II trial. The inclusion criteria required World Health Organisation (WHO) performance status ⩽ 2, bilirubinemia ⩽ 50 μM/L after biliary drainage if necessary, and possibility of external radiotherapy. Fluorouracil (5 FU) infusion and cisplatin, were given in association to radiotherapy (50 Gy) in the CHRT arm. Gemcitabine+oxaliplatin (GEMOX) was planned for 6 months in the CH arm. End-points were progression-free survival (PFS), overall survival (OS), toxicity and rate of biliary complications. The trial was closed before completion due to slow recruitment. Eighteen and 16 patients were included in the CHRT and CH arms, respectively. Median follow up was 27.9 months (± 2.8). Grade III-IV toxicities were mostly haematological (23% an...

There is insufficient empirical evidence on the correlates of health care utilization of irregular migrants currently living in Turkey. The aim of this study was to identify individual level determinants associated with health service and medication use. One hundred and fifty-five Afghans completed surveys assessing service utilization including encounters with primary care physicians and outpatient specialists in addition to the use of prescription and nonprescription medicines. Multivariate logistic regression analyses were employed to examine associations between service use and a range of predisposing, enabling, and perceived need factors. Health services utilization was lowest for outpatient specialists (20%) and highest for nonprescription medications (37%). Female gender and higher income predicted encounters with primary care physicians. Income, and other enabling factors such as family presence in Turkey predicted encounters with outpatient specialists. Perceived illness-re...

In the management of hypertension, blood pressure (BP) monitoring and medication use are key strategies, but they are dependent on patients' motivation to practice self-care. To gauge patients' approaches to monitoring their blood pressure, as well as explore their attitudes toward, and actions relating to, high blood pressure readings, as the key components of their self-management of hypertension. This qualitative study, comprising individual telephone interviews, involved patients attending community pharmacies in Sydney (Australia). Patients' perspectives were elicited using a purpose-designed, semi-structured interview guide. The verbal responses were audio-recorded, transcribed verbatim, and thematically analysed. Three key themes arose: (1) approaches to monitoring blood pressure, (2) attitudes to variability in BP, (3) responses to high BP readings. Many patients self-regulated the frequency of monitoring based on perceived need and/or opportunity. Most were indi...

People who inject drugs (PWID) in Dar es Salaam, Tanzania, have an estimated human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) prevalence of 42%-50% compared with 6.9% among the general population. Extensive evidence supports methadone maintenance to lower morbidity, mortality, and transmission of HIV and other infectious diseases among PWID. In 2011, the Tanzanian government launched the first publicly funded methadone clinic on the mainland of sub-Saharan Africa at Muhimbili National Hospital. We conducted a retrospective cohort study of methadone-naive patients enrolling into methadone maintenance treatment. Kaplan-Meier survival curves were constructed to assess retention probability. Proportional hazards regression models were used to evaluate the association of characteristics with attrition from the methadone program. Overall, 629 PWID enrolled into methadone treatment during the study. At 12 months, the proportion of clients retained in care was 57% (95% confidence interval [CI], 53%-62%). Compared with those receiving a low dose (<40 mg), clients receiving a medium (40-85 mg) (adjusted hazard ratio [aHR], 0.50 [95% CI, .37-.68]) and high (>85 mg) (aHR, 0.41 [95% CI, .29-.59]) dose of methadone had a lower likelihood of attrition, adjusting for other characteristics. Older clients (aHR, 0.53 per 10 years [95% CI, .42-.69]) and female clients (aHR, 0.50 [95% CI, .28-.90]) had a significantly lower likelihood of attrition, whereas clients who reported a history of sexual abuse (aHR, 2.84 [95% CI, 1.24-6.51]) had a significantly higher likelihood of attrition. Patient retention in methadone maintenance is comparable to estimates from programs in North America, Europe, and Asia. Future implementation strategies should focus on higher doses and flexible dosing strategies to optimize program retention and strengthened efforts for clients at higher risk of attrition.

This open-label randomized trial compared isoniazid (9 months) to rifampin (4 months) on toxicity and completion in a jailed population with latent tuberculosis infection. Rifampin resulted in fewer elevated liver function tests (risk ratio [RR] 0.39, 95% confidence interval [CI] [0.18, 0.86]) and less toxicity requiring medication withdrawal (RR 0.51, 95% CI [0.13, 2.01]), although one participant receiving rifampin experienced an allergic reaction. Completion was achieved for 33% receiving rifampin compared to 26% receiving isoniazid (p = .10). With careful monitoring rifampin is a safe and less toxic regimen and appears to be a reasonable alternative because of its shorter duration, allowing more people to complete treatment behind bars. Therapy completion in released inmates is unacceptably low and ensuring follow-up after discharge must be part of a decision to treat.

Background: Previous studies have reported that certain populations are sensitive to high out-of-pocket drug costs, and drug noncompliance leads to poorer health outcomes. Objective: Our aim was to measure patient awareness of discount pharmacy options, cost barriers to medication access, and beliefs about health care provider's use of low-cost medications. Methods: This cross-sectional 17-item survey was administered to patients in the emergency department of an urban trauma center in February 2011. Differences in responses by sex and race groups were assessed. A logistic regression model was created to estimate the association of sociodemographic factors and medication use with awareness of discount pharmacy options. Results: Five hundred and fifty-two surveys were analyzed. Among respondents who were prescribed medications within the past year, three fourths of patients felt comfortable asking physicians for cheaper medicines. Slightly more than half were aware of low-cost pharmacy options, and 78% of these respondents correctly listed at least one of these pharmacies. Caucasian patients were more comfortable than African American patients asking for cheaper medicines (82.5% vs. 72.2%; p < 0.05) and were more aware of low-cost prescription programs (63.9% vs. 43.5%; p < 0.001). When adjusted for insurance status and current medication use, Caucasian patients were 2.7 times more likely to name a valid discount pharmacy option compared to African Americans (95% confidence interval 1.85À 4.07). Conclusions: This study suggests populations may be more uncomfortable initiating a discussion about medica-tion costs and selection of lower-cost alternatives. Health care providers may need to develop communication strategies in which medication cost is addressed with sensitivity and consistency. Ó 2014 Elsevier Inc.

Amidst growing global endorsements of new biomedical HIV prevention strategies, ARV-based pre-exposure prophylaxis (ARV PrEP) has garnered considerable attention as a potentially promising prevention strategy. Though it may offer more effective protection for certain at-risk groups than conventional prevention strategies (such as sexual partner reduction, condom use, and prevention of mother-to-child transmission), PrEP is more costly. PrEP requires more ongoing contact between individuals and providers, and a level of surveillance from the health system that is not necessary with other preventive measures. In this sense, it represents a new biotechnology for HIV prevention that poses particular challenges for worldwide implementation, given developing countries' struggling health systems and incomplete HIV treatment programs. Since the emergence of PrEP has stimulated ethical discussions premised on incomplete knowledge of efficacy and implementation, this paper explores the ethical parameters of a likely scenario for PrEP usage in a single, resource-poor country. We first develop a plausible model for PrEP deployment and utilization based on current PrEP research, while carefully considering the reigning institutional values of feasibility and effectiveness in global health approaches. Drawing on ethnographic research of HIV treatment and prevention approaches in Lesotho, we address ethical questions arising from this scenario of PrEP delivery. Lesotho presents a compelling and emblematic case study of PrEP's potential successes and pitfalls in a developing country, given the country's high HIV prevalence, struggles to achieve universal access to HIV treatment regimes, continued existence of stigma around the epidemic, and difficulties in addressing persistent social inequalities that fuel infections.

Little is known about the effect of community versus health facility-based interventions to improve and sustain antiretroviral therapy (ART) adherence, virologic suppression, and retention in care among HIV-infected individuals in low- and middle-income countries (LMICs). We systematically searched four electronic databases for all available randomized controlled trials (RCTs) and comparative cohort studies in LMICs comparing community versus health facility-based interventions. Relative risks (RRs) for pre-defined adherence, treatment engagement (linkage and retention in care), and relevant clinical outcomes were pooled using random effect models. Eleven cohort studies and eleven RCTs (N = 97,657) were included. Meta-analysis of the included RCTs comparing community- versus health facility-based interventions found comparable outcomes in terms of ART adherence (RR = 1.02, 95 % CI 0.99 to 1.04), virologic suppression (RR = 1.00, 95 % CI 0.98 to 1.03), and all-cause mortality (RR = 0...

In Rwanda, significant progress has been made in advancing access to antiretroviral therapy (ART) among youth. As availability of ART increases, adherence is critical for preventing poor clinical outcomes and transmission of HIV. The goals of the study are to (1) describe ART adherence and mental health problems among youth living with HIV aged 10 to 17; and (2) examine the association between these factors among this population in rural Rwanda. A cross-sectional analysis was conducted that examined the association of mental health status and ART adherence among youth (n = 193). ART adherence, mental health status, and related variables were examined based on caregiver and youth report. Nonadherence was defined as ever missing or refusing a dose of ART within the past month. Multivariate modeling was performed to examine the association between mental health status and ART adherence. Approximately 37% of youth missed or refused ART in the past month. In addition, a high level of dep...

Introduction HIV infection is increasingly characterized as a chronic condition that can be managed through adherence to a healthy lifestyle, complex drug regimens, and regular treatment and monitoring. The location, quality, and/or affordability of a person's housing can be a significant determinant of his or her ability to meet these requirements. The objective of this systematic review is to inform program and policy development and future research by examining the available empirical evidence on the effects of housing status on health-related outcomes in people living with HIV/AIDS. Methods Electronic databases were searched from dates of inception through November 2005. A total of 29 studies met inclusion criteria for this review. Seventeen studies received a ''good'' or ''fair'' quality rating based on defined criteria. Results A significant positive association between increased housing stability and better health-related outcomes was noted in all studies examining housing status with outcomes of medication adherence (n = 9), utilization of health and social services (n = 5), and studies examining health status (n = 2) and HIV risk behaviours (n = 1). Conclusions Healthcare, support workers and public health policy should recognize the important impact of affordable and sustainable housing on the health of persons living with HIV.

In this conceptual paper we derive a new definition of adherence by assessing definitions of patient adherence, behavior and consumption theories, and evidence from field experiments and modelling recorded in over thirty papers covering 40 years of research. This definition takes patient centricity as its starting point. If this definition were to be adopted it would have implications on the practitioner-patient relationship and on pharmaceutical manufacturers; these are also considered.

Background-Self-efficacy and the use of self-regulatory strategies are consistently associated with physical activity behavior. Similarly, behavioral inhibition and cognitive resource allocation, indices of executive control function, have also been associated with this health behavior.

A ccording to the World Health Organization (WHO), "Without a system that addresses the determinants of adherence, advances in biomedical technology will fail to realize their potential to reduce the burden of chronic illness." 1 The WHO has recommended that adherence challenges are most effectively solved by individualized interventions addressing multiple factors impeding adherence. In its report, Adherence to Long-Term Therapies: Evi -dence for Action, the WHO has identified 5 interactive "dimensions" or factors affecting adherence, including 1 : 1. Social/economic factors, such as unemployment, lack of health insurance, and limited social networks for support 2. Health system factors, such as lack of provider clinical training in chronic disease management and followup systems 3. Condition-related factors, which describe the inadequacy of our clinical systems to address the impact of disabilities (eg, memory impairment) and disease comorbidities (eg, depression associated with diabetes) on patient medication-taking persistency 4. Therapy-related factors, which deal with problems such as complex medication regimens and side effects 5. Patient-related factors, describing some of the more pernicious obstacles to treatment adherence, such as Background: A report presented by the RAND Corporation for the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality recommends that patient self-management programs should include supportive coaching, and the World Health Organization has suggested that the enhancement of patient motivation and behavioral skills is crucial to increasing patient care adherence. The US healthcare reform legislation also provides incentives for evidence-based activities (eg, coaching) that promote healthy behaviors. Objectives: To review the current research on evidence-based coaching methods and their impact on medication adherence, as well as offer practical applications for such coaching interventions. Discussion: The authors review the role of medication adherence in reducing the burden of chronic diseases, using the definitions of coaching and Network Coaching as a starting point for interventions that can enhance providers' skills in motivating patients to improve their treatment adherence. Practical examples are included throughout the article to illustrate the benefits of these coaching methods for patients and providers. The mnemonic COPE is used to assist providers in the recall of 4 significant coaching and Network Coaching concepts-connectedness and collaboration, open-ended questions, positive attitude, and encourage support. Following COPE can reinforce physicians and pharmacists in their attempt to improve patient medication adherence.

As part of the Closing the Quality Gap: Revisiting the State of the Science series of the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality (AHRQ), this systematic review sought to identify completed and ongoing evaluations of the comprehensive patient-centered medical home (PCMH), summarize current evidence for this model, and identify evidence gaps. We searched PubMed®, CINAHL®, and the Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews for published English-language studies, and a wide variety of databases and Web resources to identify ongoing or recently completed studies. Two investigators per study screened abstracts and full-text articles for inclusion, abstracted data, and performed quality ratings and evidence grading. Our functional definition of PCMH was based on the definition used by AHRQ. We included studies that explicitly claimed to be evaluating PCMH and those that did not but which met our functional definition. Seventeen studies with comparison groups evaluated the effects of PCMH ...

Patient misunderstanding of prescription drug label instructions is a common cause of unintentional misuse of medication and adverse health outcomes. Those with limited literacy and English proficiency are at greater risk. To test the effectiveness of a patient-centered drug label strategy, including a Universal Medication Schedule (UMS), to improve proper regimen use and adherence compared to a current standard. Two-arm, multi-site patient-randomized pragmatic trial. English- and Spanish-speaking patients from eight community health centers in northern Virginia who received prescriptions from a central-fill pharmacy and who were 1) ≥30 years of age, 2) diagnosed with type 2 diabetes and/or hypertension, and 3) taking ≥2 oral medications. A patient-centered label (PCL) strategy that incorporated evidence-based practices for format and content, including prioritized information, larger font size, and increased white space. Most notably, instructions were conveyed with the UMS, which ...

This is a PDF file of an unedited manuscript that has been accepted for publication. As a service to our customers we are providing this early version of the manuscript. The manuscript will undergo copyediting, typesetting, and review of the resulting proof before it is published in its final form. Please note that during the production process errors may be discovered which could affect the content, and all legal disclaimers that apply to the journal pertain. REVISED MANUSCRIPT JDS-15-204 Characterization of socioeconomic status of Japanese patients with atopic dermatitis showing poor medical adherence and reasons for drug discontinuation

. Hazard ratio (HR) for mortality (squares) according to statin use in secondary-prevention observational studies comparing prevalent users with nonusers and pooled HR for users versus nonusers (diamond). A) unadjusted results; B) adjusted results. Bars, 95% confidence interval (CI). 254 Danaei et al. Am J Epidemiol. 2012;175(4):250-262 by guest on October 16, 2016 http://aje.oxfordjournals.org/ Downloaded from Overall (I 2 = 84.2%, Leeper, 2007 (79) Muhlestein, 2004 (80) Age 80 years De Luca, 2006 (75) Allen-Maycock, 2002 (72) Age <65 years Ages 65−79 years 0.47 (0.32, 0.69) 0.81 (0.68, 0.96) 0.44 (0.29, 0.65) 0.49 (0.26, 0.93) 0.16 (0.09, 0.32) 0.52 (0.35, 0.79) 0.53 (0.38, 0.73) 0.01 0.10 1 10 100 Overall (I 2 = 57.5%, Allen.70 (0.64, 0.78) Meta-Analysis of Observational Studies of Statins 255 Am J Epidemiol. 2012;175(4):250-262 by guest on October 16, 2016 http://aje.oxfordjournals.org/ Downloaded from P = 0.000) Figure 5. Multivariate-adjusted hazard ratio (HR) for mortality (squares) according to statin use in secondary-prevention observational studies comparing incident users with nonusers and pooled HR for users versus nonusers (diamond). Bars, 95% confidence interval (CI).

Psychosocial factors may directly impact HIV health measures such as viral load (VL) whether or not patients are taking antiretroviral treatment (ART) consistently. Structural equation modeling plus Baron and Kenny&#39;s (1986) four-step approach were used to test a mediated model predicting VL among 246 HIV-infected adults who were on ART. Exogenous variables were social support, barriers to adherence, and stress. Moderators were alcohol use, marijuana use, and neurocognitive impairment. A small positive association between marijuana use and ART adherence approached significance. Only barriers to adherence predicted a decrease in adherence rates and an increase in VL. No other factors were significantly associated with either VL or adherence, and no interaction effects between exogenous variables and moderators were identified. The association between barriers to adherence and VL was partially mediated by ART adherence. Findings provide modest support for a direct link between psyc...

Medication management is an essential component of therapeutic success in the treatment of chronic diseases. However, patients who do not regularly take their prescribed medications are a primary concern of health systems worldwide. A significant proportion of patients on chronic medications fail to adhere to their treatments, and suboptimal adherence leads to dire clinical and financial consequences on the personal level. Moreover, non-adherence can adversely impact public healthcare costs and the clinical outcomes of patients.

Design and Quality Considerations for Developing Mobile Apps for Medication Management: Emerging Research and Opportunities is a collection of innovative research that combines theory and practice on optimizing strategies to improve medication adherence and overall health and wellbeing in patients through the design of usable and reliable mobile app-based systems. Highlighting a broad range of topics including pharmaceutical care, quality assessment, and health behavior frameworks, this book is ideally designed for clinicians, pharmacists, healthcare providers, programmers, software developers, researchers, academicians, and students.

Background. About 30-50% of patients with gastro-oesophageal reflux disease (GORD) experience refractory symptoms despite taking proton pump inhibitors regularly. Epidemiology studies suggest lifestyle risks, but these are under-represented in existing guidelines. The potential for changes to positively impact on symptoms may be underestimated. Lifestyle advice currently appears to be ineffective.

Objective: Pharmacologic treatment for secondary prevention of coronary heart disease (CHD) is critical to prevent adverse clinical outcomes. In a randomized controlled trial, we compared antiplatelet and statin adherence among patients with CHD who received: (1) text messages (TM) for medication reminders and education, (2) educational TM only, or (3) No TM. Methods: A mobile health intervention delivered customized TM for 30 days. We assessed and analyzed medication adherence with electronic monitoring devices [Medication Event Monitoring System (MEMS)] by one-way ANOVA and Welch tests, two-way TM response rates by t-tests, and self-reported adherence (Morisky Medication Adherence Scale) by Repeated Measures ANOVA. Results: Among 90 patients (76% male, mean age 59.2 years), MEMS revealed patients who received TM for antiplatelets had a higher percentage of correct doses taken (p = 0.02), percentage number of doses taken (p = 0.01), and percentage of prescribed doses taken on schedule (p = 0.01). TM response rates were higher for antiplatelets than statins (p = 0.005). Self-reported adherence revealed no significant differences among groups. Conclusion: TM increased adherence to antiplatelet therapy demonstrated by MEMS and TM responses. Practice implications: Feasibility and high satisfaction were established. Mobile health interventions show promise in promoting medication adherence.

A literature review of original research articles on adherence to antiretroviral therapy (ART) in developed countries, covering January 2000 to June 2011, was conducted to determine if gender differences exist in the prevalence of nonadherence to ART. Of the 1,255 articles reviewed, only 189 included data on the proportion of the study population that was adherent and only 57 (30.2%) of these reported proportional adherence values by gender. While comparing articles was challenging because of varied reporting strategies, women generally exhibit poorer adherence than men. Thirty of the 44 articles (68.2%) that reported comparative data on adherence by gender found women to be less adherent than men. Ten articles (17.5%) reported significant differences in proportional adherence by gender, nine of which showed women to be less adherent than men. These findings suggest that in multiple studies from developed countries, female gender often predicts lower adherence. The unique circumstan...

Background: Common measures of adherence to prescribed medications derived from administrative databases reflect both patients’ and physicians’ behavior, even if the measures are often interpreted as reflecting only the patient&#39;s adherence. Adherence to inhaled corticosteroids (ICSs) has been shown to be low among patients with asthma. Objective: To develop a new measure of patients’ adherence adjusted for prescription patterns and to evaluate the extent to which the low use of ICSs in asthma is due to patients’ nonadherent or suboptimal prescribing practices. Methods: The new measure of adherence, called the proportion of prescribed days covered (PPDC), is defined as the ratio of the total days’ supply dispensed to the total days’ supply prescribed during the study period. The PPDC is a modification of an existing adherence measure, the proportion of days covered (PDC). The PPDC and PDC for ICSs, therapy that should be prescribed for chronic daily use to patients with persisten...

WebEase (Epilepsy Awareness, Support, and Education) is an online epilepsy self-management program to assist people with taking medication, managing stress, and improving sleep quality. The primary study aims were to determine if those who participated in WebEase demonstrated improvements in medication adherence, perceived stress, and sleep quality. Participants were randomized to a treatment (T) or waitlist control (WCL) group (n = 148). At follow-up, participants in the T group reported higher levels of medication adherence than those in the WLC group. Analyses were also conducted comparing those who had completed WebEase modules with those who had not. Those who had completed at least some modules within the WebEase program reported higher levels of self-efficacy and a trend toward significance was observed for the group × time interactions for medication adherence, perceived stress, self-management, and knowledge. The results highlight the usefulness of online tools to support self-management among people with epilepsy.

Objective: Our objective was to examine patients' experiences of taking orlistat as a means to explore adherence and behavior change. Method: We performed qualitative interviews with 12 participants who had taken orlistat in the past 2 years. Results: Their experiences were described in terms of beliefs about the causes of their obesity, their motivations for taking orlistat, and highly visual side effects. These themes have implications for understanding adherence and behavior change. For some, the side effects led to nonadherence and absence of behavior change. These individuals seemed to be motivated by routine effects of being overweight, such as lowered self-esteem. In contrast, those who were motivated by a life crisis seemed to tolerate the side effects of the drug, leading to adherence. In turn, these highly visual side effects enabled them to make an explicit link between food consumed and weight, creating a shift in their beliefs about the causes of obesity and making behavior change more likely. Conclusion: Orlistat use illustrates how treatment and illness beliefs interact to create both adherence and behavior change, particularly in the context of a life crisis and particularly when symptoms can be visualized. D

Urine drug testing of pain patients provides objective information to health specialists regarding patient compliance, diversion, and concurrent illicit drug use. Interpretation of urine test results for semisynthetic opiates can be difficult because of complex biotransformations of parent drug to metabolites that are also available commercially and may be abused. Normetabolites such as norcodeine, norhydrocodone and noroxycodone are unique metabolites that are not available commercially. Consequently, detection of normetabolite in specimens not containing parent drug, provides conclusive evidence that the parent drug was consumed. The goal of this study was to evaluate the prevalence and patterns of the three normetabolites, norcodeine, norhydrocodone and noroxycodone, in urine specimens of pain patients treated with opiates. Urine specimens were hydrolyzed with b-glucuronidase and analyzed by a validated liquid

 This study described the prospective relationship between pharmacological and behavioral measures of 6-mercaptopurine (6MP) medication adherence in a multisite cohort of pediatric patients diagnosed with cancer (N = 139).  Pharmacological measures (i.e., metabolite concentrations) assessed 6MP intake. Behavioral measures (e.g., electronic monitoring) described adherence patterns over time.  Three metabolite profiles were identified across 15 months: one group demonstrated low levels of both metabolites (40.8%) consistent with nonadherence and/or suboptimal therapy; two other groups demonstrated metabolite clusters indicative of adequate adherence (59.2%). Those patients whose metabolite profile demonstrated low levels of both metabolites had consistently lower behavioral adherence rates.  To our knowledge, this was the first study to prospectively validate a pharmacological measure of medication adherence with a behavioral adherence measure in a relatively large sample of pediatric...

Compared with the history of national guideline development, the science attached to implementation of guidelines is relatively new. Effectiveness of a highly evidence-based guideline, such as the 8th Joint National Committee recommendations on the treatment of high blood pressure, depends on successful translation into clinical practice. Implementation relies on several steps: clear and executable guideline language, audit and feedback attached to education of practitioners charged with carrying out the guidelines, team-based care delivery, credibility of blood pressure measurement, and measures to address therapeutic inertia and medication adherence. An evolving role of the electronic health record and patient empowerment are developments that will further promote implementation of the hypertension guideline. Further research will be needed to assess the efficacy and cost effectiveness of various implementation tools and strategies.