Using Feedback Reports to Improve Medication Adherence

Corporal Michael J. Crescenz VA Medical Center

Status: Completed

Conditions: Coronary Artery Disease; Adherence

Treatments: Behavioral: Individual Feedback; Behavioral: Feedback Friend

Study type: Interventional

Funder types: Other U.S. Federal agency

Identifiers

NCT02480530

01461

Details and patient eligibility

About

The purpose of this research study is to improve statin medication adherence among Veterans with coronary artery disease with poor adherence to medications. The investigators are testing if newer technology pill bottle devices linked with individual feedback and/or social incentive strategies can improve medication taking behavior.

Full description

Patients with coronary artery disease and previous poor adherence to statin medications will be recruited at Philadelphia VA Medical Center. Enrolled participants will be randomly assigned to one of three arms:

1. Control Group
2. Individual Alarm device and feedback report
3. Individual plus patient-selected Feedback Friend report

Patients will be given a medication-monitoring device (Vitality GlowCaps) to monitor the statin medication that is being currently prescribed by their primary care physician. In first group, the control arm (Arm 1), the device reminders will be turned off but the device will continue recording adherence to the medications. In second group, reminder arm (Arm 2), the device will be programmed as an alarm that will be activated if the patient does not take the medication at the time set by the patient. In addition the patient will get a weekly report of his/her adherence. In the third group, patient-selected family/friend/or reciprocal peer feedback arm (Arm 3), in addition to the activation of the alarm function the device will be linked to a weekly report on adherence to medications. This report will be delivered to the patient and to the patient identified family/friend/ or reciprocal peer.

Enrollment: 126 patients

Sex: All

Ages: 30 to 75 years old

Volunteers: Accepts Healthy Volunteers

Inclusion criteria

• All participants will have a diagnosis of CAD
• To be eligible they must be between the ages of 30-75 years of age-to ensure we are targeting those most likely to benefit from improving control to these medications
• Patients must have been prescribed a statin by their provider and a documented poor adherence as measured by a 16-month medication adherence rate (Medication Possession Ratio) of <80%

Exclusion criteria

• Due to the use of the medication adherence reminder device, patients must speak English
• Have a home address
• Telephone number
• Be willing and able to identify a friend or family member
• The investigators will exclude atients with active substance abuse, significant hearing loss, or reduced cognitive ability as determined from the patient's problem list

Trial design

Primary purpose: Health Services Research

Allocation: Randomized

Interventional model: Parallel Assignment

Masking: Single Blind

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126 participants in 3 patient groups

Control

No Intervention group

Description:

Patients will be given educational material on the importance of adherence to statin medications. The GlowCaps device will be set to only record adherence.

Individual Feedback

Experimental group

Description:

In addition to educational material on adherence to statin medications, the research coordinator will review set-up of personal reminders for the GlowCaps device which will be set to glow and buzz when the medication is missed. In addition, patients will receive information on the weekly adherence feedback report.

Treatment:

Behavioral: Individual Feedback

Feedback Friend

Experimental group

Description:

The patient will be given educational material on the importance of adhering to statin medications. The research coordinator will review set-up of alarm features of GlowCaps device. Similar to Arm 2, patients will be given information on interpretation of weekly adherence feedback report. If the patient chooses a family/friend, they will be called and provided information on the interpretation of weekly adherence feedback report. If the patient chooses a reciprocal partner, they will be assigned to another patient who has made a similar choice

Treatment:

Behavioral: Feedback Friend

Behavioral: Individual Feedback