various interventions used to improve compliance

various interventions used to improve compliance

It is common knowledge that failure to take medication has adverse effects on the outcome of treatment; more so since it leads to wasted resources. Non-adherence to medication is considered as one of the most expensive disease categories considering it is among the largest of the class. Compliance is, however, not restricted to taking medication alone; it also consists of the failure to follow recommended dietary habits or keeping up with appointments and other healthy practices recommended by a health practitioner. Over the years, researchers have been looking for a means to counter this problem (“Strategies to Enhance Patient Adherence: Making it Simple,” n.d.). The most plausible way found was through involving the patient in the determination of their medication. Simplifying medication regimen tends to improve compliance, but only if the appropriate simplification techniques are used.

There are various interventions used to improve compliance. One of the simplification techniques is an educational intervention. Educational intervention can be done through imparting knowledge on the treatment regime being applied to the patient. The effects of the knowledge imparted on the patients are, however, observed to diminish over time (“Patient adherence to medical treatment: a review of reviews,” n.d.). Therefore, in as much as the appropriate expertise is conferred on the patients, compliance will be observed to reduce overtime. However, with the use of aids such as reminders through mobile text messaging, memory aids and the use of friends and family to ensure that the appropriate medication is administered at the required time, compliance is increased.

Technical interventions are also another means aimed at increasing compliance. The main aim here is to either try and reduce the dosage or reduce the types of drugs in the treatment plan. The packaging is also an issue that has caused compliance levels not to drop as expected by researchers (“Devising ways to improve medicines adherence,”2015). For example, removing medicine from child-proof caps or split tablets in half might be difficult for patients who have limited ability. Also, a patient might decide to skip medication due to lack of patience needed in unpacking medication. Therefore, compliance with the treatment regime improves through simplification of packaging methods and collaboration with pharmacists and other medical practitioners to simplify the prescriptions. The interventions mentioned above are a few of the means that have been tried out by researchers and have been observed to affect the compliance levels.

Given the above interventions, there are a few recommendations that can be used to improve compliance levels. In the case of patients with limited ability, during the manufacture of the drugs and packaging, tablet splitting can be introduced, and in the case of administration of the dosages the medical practitioner could first find out about the literacy levels of the patient to create a rapport (“Devising ways to improve medicines adherence,”2015). The rapport then enables the practitioner to find the best means to administer the dosage and also a way to ensure that the patient can comply with the dosage instructions.

The pharmacists could also introduce track forms that keep a record of compliance rates and team perceptions as a means of reinforcing the resolve of the patients positively by showing them the importance of feeling healthy. The use of incentives is also another recommended approach that should improve compliance levels, through either cash payment or payment in kind. An example is in transplant patients, offering a discount to them for adhering to the anti-rejection treatment regime since it prevents re-transplantation and the costs associated with it.

Conclusion

Medical compliance has a massive impact on health outcomes and the length of life together with the overall health costs. With the implementation of the appropriate interventions, the mortality rates experienced can be reduced, and various factors such as bacterial resistance to antibacterial will be a thing of the past. Various interventions include educational and technical interventions that help ensure that the patients are well informed on their medical regimes.

References

Devising ways to improve medicines adherence. (2015, November 23). Retrieved from https://www.pharmaceutical-journal.com/news-and-analysis/features/devising-ways-to-improve-medicines-adherence/20200125.article?firstPass=false#fn_1

Jennifer Kim, PharmD, BCPS, BCACP, CPPAssistant Director of Pharmacy EducationArea Health Education Center, Greensboro, North Carolina Assistant Professor of Clinical Education, University of North Carolina Eshelman School of PharmacyChapel Hill, North CarolinaClinical Pharmacist Practitioner, Cone Health Internal Medicine CenterGreensboro, North CarolinaKelsy Combs, PharmDPGY2 Ambulatory Care Pharmacy ResidentTriad HealthCare NetworkGreensboro, North CarolinaJonathan Downs, PharmDPharmacistWalgreens PharmacyMebane, North CarolinaFrank Tillman III, PharmD CandidateStudent PharmacistUniversity of North Carolina Eshelman School of PharmacyChapel Hill, North Carolina. (2018, January 19). Medication Adherence: The Elephant in the Room. Retrieved from https://www.uspharmacist.com/article/medication-adherence-the-elephant-in-the-room

Patient adherence to medical treatment: a review of reviews. (n.d.). Retrieved from https://bmchealthservres.biomedcentral.com/articles/10.1186/1472-6963-7-55

Pharmaceutical Practice, International Edition E-Book. (n.d.). Retrieved from https://books.google.co.ke/books?id=G0lZEGZi9SMC&pg=PA524&lpg=PA524&dq=books+on+simplifying+medical+regimens&source=bl&ots=CYOaLwpWEz&sig=ACfU3U1EDutmY0pmw_yzsuDNtvDR3t13Aw&hl=en&sa=X&ved=2ahUKEwiysaOZlvHnAhVhqnEKHXjLBQ0Q6AEwDXoECAkQAQ#v=onepage&q=books%20on%20simplifying%20medical%20regimens&f=false

Strategies to Enhance Patient Adherence: Making it Simple. (n.d.). Retrieved from https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC1681370/