title: Brief evaluation of medication influences and beliefs: development and testing of a brief scale for medication adherence.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  The purpose of this study was to develop and test a brief scale (Brief Evaluation of Medication Influences and Beliefs [BEMIB]) designed to identify patients who are more likely to be nonadherent to their antipsychotic medication.
  
  
  METHODS
  Sixty-three outpatients with schizophrenia and related psychotic disorders were enrolled and given an assessment battery including the BEMIB, a previously published adherence scale, extrapyramidal symptom rating scales, and an adherence assessment with patient self-report and prescription refill records. The BEMIB consisted of 8 statements derived from the health belief model with a 5-point Likert-type scale for each statement. Subjects chose a single answer for each item depending on their level of agreement or disagreement.
  
  
  RESULTS
  According to refill records, subjects meeting BEMIB-based criteria for nonadherence had significantly larger gaps in antipsychotic therapy (greater nonadherence) compared with those of participants not meeting criteria for nonadherence. For the 1-week test-retest reliability, the BEMIB total score and 5 of 8 single items correlated significantly. BEMIB total scores correlated significantly with an established assessment of adherence (Drug Attitude Inventory), demonstrating adequate construct validity.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The BEMIB represents a promising scale for identifying patients more likely to be nonadherent to their medications.
authors.affiliation: Department of Psychiatry, University of California, San Diego, CA, USA.
authors.forename: Christian R
authors.initials: CR
authors.lastname: Dolder
authors.forename: Jonathan P
authors.initials: JP
authors.lastname: Lacro
authors.forename: Kathleen A
authors.initials: KA
authors.lastname: Warren
authors.forename: Shahrokh
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Golshan
authors.forename: Diana O
authors.initials: DO
authors.lastname: Perkins
authors.forename: Dilip V
authors.initials: DV
authors.lastname: Jeste
mesh_terms: D000368:Aged; D014150:Antipsychotic Agents / Q000627:therapeutic use; D003469:Culture; D005240:Feasibility Studies; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D010349:Patient Compliance / Q000523:psychology*; D011569:Psychiatric Status Rating Scales / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D012559:Schizophrenia / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000453:epidemiology; D018709:Statistics, Nonparametric; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires
chemical_list: D014150:Antipsychotic Agents