title: Concurrent and predictive validity of a self-reported measure of medication adherence.
abstract: Adherence to the medical regimen continues to rank as a major clinical problem in the management of patients with essential hypertension, as in other conditions treated with drugs and life-style modification. This article reviews the psychometric properties and tests the concurrent and predictive validity of a structured four-item self-reported adherence measure (alpha reliability = 0.61), which can be easily integrated into the medical visit. Items in the scale address barriers to medication-taking and permit the health care provider to reinforce positive adherence behaviors. Data on patient adherence to the medical regimen were collected at the end of a formalized 18-month educational program. Blood pressure measurements were recorded throughout a 3-year follow-up period. Results showed the scale to demonstrate both concurrent and predictive validity with regard to blood pressure control at 2 years and 5 years, respectively. Seventy-five percent of the patients who scored high on the four-item scale at year 2 had their blood pressure under adequate control at year 5, compared with 47% under control at year 5 for those patients scoring low (P less than 0.01).
mesh_terms: D006801:Humans; D006973:Hypertension / Q000188:drug therapy*; D008487:Medical History Taking; D010044:Outpatient Clinics, Hospital; D010349:Patient Compliance; D010353:Patient Education as Topic; D010817:Physician-Patient Relations; D011336:Probability; D011594:Psychometrics