Contact and education improves medication adherence says review

News
Date published
28/07/2020

People with type 2 diabetes and or cardiovascular disease are more like to take prescribed medication if they have regular contact with a healthcare professional and education, a study funded by ARC East Midlands has found.

Researchers reviewed 34 studies looking at ways to ensure people with the two conditions comply with their medication schedule.

As well as investigating the best ways to improve adherence, the team funded by ARC EM compared the impact of structured trials (explanatory) versus research evaluating the effectiveness of interventions in real-life (pragmatic).

According to the findings published in BMJ Open, interventions featuring an element of education alongside regular time with a healthcare professional “showed the most promise”.

This suggested that “frequent engagement with the healthcare team may trigger behavioural change or act as a reminder to undertake the behaviour”, the researchers concluded.

When analysing the differences between explanatory and pragmatic studies, the outcomes suggested that the effectiveness was comparable, suggesting that “findings can be transferred from idealised to real-world conditions”. 

On the back of this study, the researchers have called for further guidance to be developed to assist researchers in characterising and scoring studies.

Professor Kamlesh Khunti is the Director of NIHR ARC East Midlands and is also a Professor of Primary Care, Diabetes and Vascular Medicine at the University of Leicester.

Summarising the findings of the study, he said: “Overall multifaceted interventions which included an element of education alongside regular patient contact or follow-up showed the most promise. Effectiveness of interventions between pragmatic and explanatory trials were comparable, suggesting that findings can be transferred from idealised to real-world conditions.

“With regard to trial design, recently there has been a focus on designing trials that are pragmatic and therefore more representative of ‘real life’. The findings from this review suggest that the effectiveness of interventions between pragmatic and explanatory trials was comparable, suggesting that findings can be transferred from idealised to real-word conditions.”

To access the study, click here.