Adherence enhancers in pill-related clinical trials: a health behavior in cancer prevention model-based approach

• Published in: Patient education and counseling Vol. 28; no. 1; pp. 15 - 23
• Main Authors: Atwood, J.R., Giordano, L., Vargas, P., Blackwell, G.G., Earnest, D.L., Meyskens, F., Alberts, D.
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Ireland Elsevier Ireland Ltd 01.06.1996
• Subjects: Adherence; Aged; Anti-Inflammatory Agents, Non-Steroidal - therapeutic use; Cancer prevention; Clinical Trials as Topic; Colonic Neoplasms - prevention & control; Compliance; Female; Health Behavior; Health Knowledge, Attitudes, Practice; Humans; Male; Middle Aged; Models, Psychological; Patient Compliance; Patient Education as Topic; Piroxicam - therapeutic use; Adherence; Compliance; Cancer prevention
• ISSN: 0738-3991; 1873-5134
• DOI: 10.1016/0738-3991(96)00858-0

Preventing non-adherence and treating adherence failure are important to consider in designing community-based clinical trials. The approach and methods for managing adherence are vital. This paper describes a practical and theoretically-based strategy for managing adherence in a small cancer prevention trial with subjects ( n = 40) taking a non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drug, piroxicam. Average daily pill intake adherence was exceptionally high (97.4%) as measured by self-report calendar. Thus, the generalized adherence enhancement approach used in this study may have been a related factor, although statistical model-testing was not possible in this small trial. The generalized intervention took into account factors such as the potential barriers and benefits of being in the study, self-efficacy and satisfaction with the participant/staff relationship. These and other theoretical variables were incorporated into an overall adherence strategy that is discussed.