title: How does patient-provider communication influence adherence to asthma medications?
abstract: To assess hypothesized pathways through which patient-provider communication impacts asthma medication adherence.
  
  
  
  A national sample of 452 adults with asthma reported assessments of patient-provider communication, proximal outcomes (understanding of asthma self-management, patient-provider agreement, trust in the clinician, involvement in care, motivation), and adherence to asthma medications. Structural equation modeling was used to examine hypothesized pathways.
  
  
  
  Significantly positive direct pathways were found between patient-provider communication and all proximal outcomes. Only positive indirect pathways, operating through trust and motivation, were found between patient-provider communication and medication adherence.
  
  
  
  Patient-provider communication influences many desirable proximal outcomes, but only influences adherence through trust and motivation.
  
  
  
  To promote better adherence to asthma medication regimens and, ultimately positive asthma outcomes, healthcare providers can focus on implementing communication strategies that strengthen patients' trust and increase patient motivation to use asthma medications.
authors.affiliation: Clinical and Administrative Pharmacy, University of Georgia, Athens, GA, USA. Electronic address: hnyoung@uga.edu.
authors.forename: Henry N
authors.initials: HN
authors.lastname: Young
authors.affiliation: Advertising and Public Relations, Grady College of Journalism & Mass Communication, University of Georgia, Athens, GA, USA. Electronic address: lenriosm@uga.edu.
authors.forename: Maria E
authors.initials: ME
authors.lastname: Len-Rios
authors.affiliation: Medical Research Consulting, Middleton, WI, USA. Electronic address: medicalresearchconsult@yahoo.com.
authors.forename: Roger
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Brown
authors.affiliation: Division of Adolescent Medicine, Seattle Children's Hospital, Seattle, WA, USA. Electronic address: Megan.Moreno@seattlechildrens.org.
authors.forename: Megan M
authors.initials: MM
authors.lastname: Moreno
authors.affiliation: Pediatrics, School of Medicine and Public Health, University of Wisconsin, Madison, WI, USA. Electronic address: ecox@wisc.edu.
authors.forename: Elizabeth
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Cox
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D001249:Asthma / Q000188:drug therapy*; D003142:Communication; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D055118:Medication Adherence; D008875:Middle Aged; D009042:Motivation; D010817:Physician-Patient Relations; D035502:Trust
keywords: Asthma; Medication adherence; Patient-provider communication