title: The impact of patient knowledge of patient-centered medication label content on quality of life among older adults.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Prescription drugs have made great contributions to health and quality of life (QOL). However, inappropriate use of drugs may result in just the opposite effect. Older adults often take multiple medications simultaneously and thus are more vulnerable to inappropriate drug use. Knowledge of important aspects of medication use might reduce the risk of inappropriate utilization and improve QOL.
  
  
  OBJECTIVE
  To determine the extent of patient knowledge concerning patient-centered contents of medication labels (PCCMLs) and whether level of patient knowledge is associated with health outcomes.
  
  
  METHODS
  A survey was administered to members of 6 senior centers in Memphis, TN, USA. Surveys from older adults (65 or older) who were taking at least 1 medication were included in the current analyses (N=287). QOL was measured using the Euroqual EQ-5D and the Visual Analog Scale (EQ-VAS). Older adults reported their knowledge of PCCML on a set of 4 Likert-type scale items concerning the PCCMLs. Statistical analyses included descriptive statistics, analysis of variance, correlation analysis, and linear regression.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Study participants scored on average 16.20 (standard deviation [SD]=3.41) for knowledge of PCCML. Patient knowledge of PCCML was associated with age (r(s)=-0.1469, P=.0127), race/ethnicity (F=4.40, P=.0131), education (r(s)=0.1984, P=.0007), and household income (r(s)=0.1539, P=.0159). Study participants had an average EQ-5D score of 0.82 (SD=0.16) and EQ-VAS score of 77.80 (SD=15.07). Multivariate linear regression results showed that 1 unit increase in patient knowledge resulted in 0.62 unit increase (P=.017) in EQ-VAS QOL scores after adjusting for the impact of other variables. However, patient knowledge of PCCML did not significantly predict EQ-5D QOL scores (β^=0.002, P=.4633) when all other variables were controlled.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Patient knowledge of medication use was associated with QOL among older adults. New standardized labels should be designed to improve patient knowledge of PCCML information. Furthermore, providers of medication therapy management should ensure that older adults have a complete knowledge of the PCCML information.
authors.affiliation: Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences, College of Pharmacy, University of Tennessee Health Science Center, 881 Madison Avenue, Suite 219, Memphis, TN 38163, USA. shhong@uthsc.edu
authors.forename: Song Hee
authors.initials: SH
authors.lastname: Hong
authors.forename: Jing
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Liu
authors.forename: Sunghee
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Tak
authors.forename: Varun
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Vaidya
mesh_terms: D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D000704:Analysis of Variance; D003625:Data Collection; D004348:Drug Labeling; D005260:Female; D007722:Health Knowledge, Attitudes, Practice; D006801:Humans; D016014:Linear Models; D008297:Male; D015999:Multivariate Analysis; D017063:Outcome Assessment, Health Care; D018802:Patient-Centered Care; D055553:Prescription Drugs / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000009:adverse effects / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D011788:Quality of Life; D013714:Tennessee
chemical_list: D055553:Prescription Drugs