Treatment adherence impact: the systematic assessment and quantification of the impact of treatment adherence on pediatric medical and psychological outcomes.
OBJECTIVE
Treatment adherence impact (TAI) is the quantification of the effects of adherence behaviors on medical or psychological outcomes using systematic assessment and analytic methods. The purpose of this review is to provide a framework for the measurement and analysis of TAI.


METHODS
Specific studies were selected from the treatment adherence literature to illustrate methods to assess TAI.


RESULTS
There are many methods available to investigators to evaluate TAI and, when possible, multiple impact outcomes should be included in adherence studies. The methods available to assess TAI and barriers to assessing TAI vary across illness group requiring illness-specific applications of the concepts presented.


CONCLUSIONS
Systematically examining TAI in adherence studies could advance the state of the art of treatment adherence science.
Pai
Ahna L H
AL
Center for the Promotion of Adherence and Self-Management Division of Behavioral Medicine and Clinical Psychology, Cincinnati Children's Hospital Medical Center, 3333 Burnet Avenue, MLC 7039, Cincinnati, OH 45229, USA. ahna.pai@cchmc.org
Drotar
Dennis
D
D002648:Child; D002908:Chronic Disease / Q000628:therapy*; D006801:Humans; D017063:Outcome Assessment, Health Care / Q000379:methods* / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D010349:Patient Compliance / Q000523:psychology* / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D010372:Pediatrics / Q000379:methods; D002666:Psychology, Child; D016896:Treatment Outcome