[The validity of 6 indirect methods for assessing compliance with pharmacological treatment in dyslipidemias].
OBJECTIVE
To validate six indirect methods of identifying patients who do not comply with their treatment with hypolipaemiant drugs.


METHODS
A prospective study.


METHODS
Primary care centres in the province of Alicante.


METHODS
107 lipaemic patients, on the lists of 5 General Medical practices and on drugs treatment.


RESULTS
The most accurate way to assess compliance was the surprise counting of pills in patients' homes. Patients who had between 80 and 110% compliance were defined as compliant. The six indirect methods validated were: Communication of self-compliance (CS), Attendance at appointments (AA), Doctor's judgment (DJ), Information about the illness (II), the Morisky-Green test (MG) and the grade of control (GC). AA, DJ and CS were the methods with highest specificity (91.2%-89.5%). GC and II were the most sensitive (88%-82%). GC obtained the greatest negative predictive value (77.7%), and DJ the greatest positive predictive value (73.6%). The concordance index (kappa) ranged from 0.23 for GC and -0.002 for II.


CONCLUSIONS
GC, DJ and CS are the methods with the best validity indicators and concordance. They could, therefore, be used together in clinical practice to identify patients not complying with their hypolipemiant treatment.
Piñeiro
F
F
Departamento de Medicina, Universidad de Alicante.
Gil
V
V
Donis
M
M
Orozco
D
D
Torres
M T
MT
Merino
J
J
D006801:Humans; D006949:Hyperlipidemias / Q000188:drug therapy*; D000960:Hypolipidemic Agents / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D008722:Methods; D010349:Patient Compliance; D011320:Primary Health Care / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D011446:Prospective Studies; D013030:Spain; D016312:Treatment Refusal / Q000706:statistics & numerical data
D000960:Hypolipidemic Agents