title: Effectiveness of a combined strategy to improve therapeutic compliance and degree of control among patients with hypercholesterolaemia: a randomised clinical trial.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  In subjects with hypercholesterolaemia, cholesterol values remain above guideline levels. One of the limiting factors to the achievement of goals in such patients is therapeutic non-adherence. The aim of this study is to assess the effectiveness of an intervention designed to improve control of hypercholesterolaemic patients, consisting of a combined strategy that would include the delivery of printed information, treatment-compliance check cards and the dispatch of text messages as complementary measures in support of the intervention at the general practitioner's practice.
  
  
  METHODS
  A randomised, parallel-group clinical trial will be conducted at the family medicine outpatient facilities of eight health centres in three of Spain's Autonomous Regions (Comunidades Autónomas), covering a total of 358 subjects aged 18 years or over with diagnosis of hypercholesterolaemia. Patients in the intervention group will be supplied with printed material with information on the disease and its management, mobile-telephone text messages with guideline summaries, reminders of forthcoming appointments and/or arrangements for making new appointments in the event of non-attendance, and self-report cards to check compliance with recommendations. Both groups -intervention and control- will receive routine recommendations from their physicians in accordance with current European clinical practice guidelines for hypercholesterolaemia and cardiovascular risk management. As regards the measurements to be made, the main variable is the proportion of subjects who attain the low density lipoprotein cholesterol levels set as a target across a follow-up period of 24 months. The secondary variables are as follows: adherence to recommendations on lifestyle and adherence to drug treatment; variation in lipid profiles and cardiovascular risk levels; appearance of cardiovascular events; physical activity; food consumption; smoking habit; anthropometric measures; blood pressure; health problems; use of hypolipidaemic agents; socio-demographic data; beliefs and expectations about preventive recommendations; and degree of satisfaction with the combined strategy.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Should this intervention prove effective, a recommendation could be issued on the application of this combined strategy to subjects with hypercholesterolaemia. It is a simple, relatively inexpensive intervention.
  
  
  BACKGROUND
  ClinicalTrials.gov: NCT02314663.
authors.affiliation: La Roda Health Centre, Health Care Service of Castilla-La Mancha, C/Mártires 63, 02630 Albacete, La Roda, Spain. iparraga@sescam.jccm.es.
authors.forename: Ignacio
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Párraga-Martínez
authors.forename: Joseba
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Rabanales-Sotos
authors.forename: Fernando
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Lago-Deibe
authors.forename: Juan M
authors.initials: JM
authors.lastname: Téllez-Lapeira
authors.forename: Francisco
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Escobar-Rabadán
authors.forename: Alejandro
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Villena-Ferrer
authors.forename: Mariano
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Blasco-Valle
authors.forename: José M
authors.initials: JM
authors.lastname: Ferreras-Amez
authors.forename: Susana
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Morena-Rayo
authors.forename: José M
authors.initials: JM
authors.lastname: del Campo-del Campo
authors.forename: Maria Candelaria
authors.initials: MC
authors.lastname: Ayuso-Raya
authors.forename: José J
authors.initials: JJ
authors.lastname: Pérez-Pascual
mesh_terms: D002318:Cardiovascular Diseases / Q000517:prevention & control; D015438:Health Behavior; D006801:Humans; D006937:Hypercholesterolemia / Q000150:complications / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000628:therapy*; D008019:Life Style; D010349:Patient Compliance; D010353:Patient Education as Topic; D011320:Primary Health Care / Q000379:methods*; D017010:Reminder Systems; D012307:Risk Factors; D060145:Text Messaging