None listed
Conditions
Brief summary
Complex interventions to improve compliance to pharmacological treatment in older people have given mixed results and are not easily applicable in clinical practice. The aim of this study was to test the short-term efficacy on self-reported medication adherence of an easy intervention in which the patient or caregiver was asked to transcribe the pharmacological treatment while it was dictated to him/her by the doctor. We hypothesize that this kind of intervention can be valuable in improving patients’ adherence to therapy, at least in the short term. Such intervention has the potential to be effective both psychologically and organisationally. Psychologically because it can enhance the sense of empowerment of patients/caregivers by allowing them to play a more active role in the health-care process. Organisationally because it results in a medication schedule in which the dosages and the times of administration of the prescribed drugs have been clearly noted under the doctor’s supervision.
Interventions
A quick and easy intervention with the objective to improve adherence to pharmacological treatment. It was applied at the end of the outpatient visit to the person managing the medications (patient or caregiver) who was asked to write down on a sheet of paper the drug regimen that had been prescribed. This was dictated to him/her by the doctor to obtain a schedule of pharmacological treatment in which the times of administration of the drugs were noted along with their dosages. The doctor superv
A quick and easy intervention with the objective to improve adherence to pharmacological treatment. It was applied at the end of the outpatient visit to the person managing the medications (patient or caregiver) who was asked to write down on a sheet of paper the drug regimen that had been prescribed. This was dictated to him/her by the doctor to obtain a schedule of pharmacological treatment in which the times of administration of the drugs were noted along with their dosages. The doctor supervised the operation, making sure that the transcription was correct and clear, and the patient or caregiver was then given the schedule for use at home. This schedule of therapy was set to be used at home for at least 4 weeks.
Sponsors
University of Milan
Study design
Allocation
Randomised controlled trial
Primary purpose
Educational / counselling / training
Eligibility
Sex/Gender
All
Age
65 Years to No maximum
Healthy volunteers
No
Inclusion criteria
Being living in the community, taking at least one drug a day, having been prescribed a change in pharmacological treatment during the visit (i.e. at least one drug was added or suspended by the doctor) and – in the case of patients dependent in the management of medications - having with them at the visit the caregiver who was in charge of the administration of drugs.
Exclusion criteria
Being not living at home, not taking medications, not having been prescribed a change in pharmacological treatment during the visit, being dependent in the management of medications without the caregiver who was in charge of the administration of drugs.
Outcome results
None listed