HOW TO IMPROVE ADHERENCE?/CHANEY ET AL (2004)

Question 1

Why is improving adherence important?

Answer 1

To prevent negative health outcomes

Question 2

What methods can be used to improve adherence?

Answer 2

• Individual behavioural techniques (costumising treatments, contracts, personalised prompts)
• Community-based interventions (monetary incentives, specific prompts)

Question 3

Name some individual behavioural techniques that can be used to improve adherence?

Answer 3

1. Customising treatments- Schroeder (2004)
2. Contracts (Bosch-Capblanch et al, 2007)
3. Personalised prompts (Strandbygaard et al, 2010)

Question 4

What are adherence-contracts and how can they be used to improve adherence?

Answer 4

Whereby patients and practitioners have a discussion to clarify the requirements of taking the medication. Either a written or verbal contract is initiated in which the patient agrees to adhere to take the medication/ treatment.

Question 5

Bosch-Capblanch et al (2007) found what in regards to the efficacy of adherence-contracts?

Answer 5

conducted a meta-analysis and found that the use of contracts generally increases medication adherence in patients with a range of illnesses , though there was little evidence that these positive outcomes can be sustained over time.

Question 6

How can costumising treatments increase treatment-adherence?

Answer 6

Customising treatments: Adjusting the patients treatment in order to better suit their lifestyle and needs (increasing convenience) – examples would included implementing once-a-day dosing or reducing side effects of treatments.

Question 7

What did Schroeder (2004) find in regards to the efficacy of custumisng treatments to improvde adherence/

Answer 7

Schroeder (2004) found that reducing twice-a-day medication to once-a-day dosing, significantly improved adherence)

Question 8

What did Ley (1988) find in terms of patient satisfaction in the UK?

Answer 8

GP patients- 28% reported low satisfaction
Hospital patients- 41% reported low satisfaction, due to uninformative or unhelpful doctors were in communication.

Question 9

What did Ley (1988) conclude?

Answer 9

• Most patients are “information seekers” (want a detailed understanding of their condition and treatment ) rather than ‘information blunters’ (prefer not to be told too much).
• Improving how information is given (clearer language, empathy, time) can increase adherence and satisfaction)