title: Peers as Facilitators of Medication Adherence Interventions: A Review.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Difficulty taking essential medications as prescribed is a prevalent problem among people living with chronic diseases. Numerous interventions to enhance medication adherence have been developed; the majority facilitated by health care professionals.
  
  
  OBJECTIVE
  This review examined medication adherence interventions delivered by peers (ie, lay individuals living with the same chronic disease) and reports what is known about the impact of peer-facilitated interventions.
  
  
  METHODS
  PubMed, CINAHL, Google Scholar, Google, and PsychInfo, and ancestry searches.
  
  
  METHODS
  Solely peers delivered the intervention and follow-up occurred for at least 24 weeks postintervention. Electronic databases were searched from their start date to December 31, 2014.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Eleven studies were located that reported 10 different interventions focused on 6 chronic disease conditions. Most interventions were delivered in clinical settings and grounded in a theoretical framework. Formats were evenly split between individual and group level, with one intervention using both. Length of training for the interventionists and the number of intervention sessions that subjects received varied across studies.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Self-report was frequently used as a measure of adherence. Biomarkers were sometimes used to assess medication adherence; however, lifestyle modification may have also affected biomarker levels.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Overall, the interventions had positive effects and attrition was quite low. Peer-facilitated interventions appear to enhance medication adherence as well as other healthful behaviors, such as exercise.
authors: University of Missouri, Columbia, MO, USA enriquezm@missouri.edu.
authors: Maithe
authors: M
authors: Enriquez
authors: University of Missouri, Columbia, MO, USA.
authors: Vicki S
authors: VS
authors: Conn
mesh_terms: D002908:Chronic Disease / Q000628:therapy*; D005260:Female; D015438:Health Behavior; D007722:Health Knowledge, Attitudes, Practice; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D010379:Peer Group; D016903:Drug Monitoring
keywords: disease management; health outcomes; medications; patient-centeredness; primary care