title: Use of Unannounced Telephone Pill Counts to Measure Medication Adherence Among Adolescents and Young Adults Living With Perinatal HIV Infection.
abstract: To examine unannounced telephone pill counts as a measure of adherence to antiretroviral therapy among adolescents and young adults living with perinatal HIV infection.
  
  
  
  Participants were recruited from an ongoing longitudinal study to complete four monthly, unannounced telephone pill counts. Detailed notes concerning participants' medication habits surrounding adherence were recorded.
  
  
  
  Two-thirds of 102 eligible participants aged 18-27 years participated; 57% were female, 69% were Black. Blacks and participants with viral loads >40 and >1,000 copies/ml were less likely to participate. Average adherence across calls was 77%. Those who completed all calls averaged significantly higher adherence scores than those who did not. Calls revealed adherence barriers at individual (e.g., medication disorganization), social (e.g., limited support), and system (e.g., pharmacy problems) levels.
  
  
  
  Despite challenges, this procedure can be implemented with this population and can help identify adherence barriers important for interventions that address medication-taking behaviors.
authors.affiliation: HIV Center for Clinical and Behavioral Studies, New York State Psychiatric Institute.|Columbia University.
authors.forename: Jeannette F
authors.initials: JF
authors.lastname: Raymond
authors.affiliation: HIV Center for Clinical and Behavioral Studies, New York State Psychiatric Institute.|Columbia University.
authors.forename: Amelia
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Bucek
authors.affiliation: HIV Center for Clinical and Behavioral Studies, New York State Psychiatric Institute.|Columbia University.
authors.forename: Curtis
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Dolezal
authors.affiliation: HIV Center for Clinical and Behavioral Studies, New York State Psychiatric Institute.|Columbia University.
authors.forename: Patricia
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Warne
authors.affiliation: HIV Center for Clinical and Behavioral Studies, New York State Psychiatric Institute.|Columbia University.
authors.forename: Stephanie
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Benson
authors.affiliation: ICAP, Columbia University Mailman School of Public Health.
authors.forename: Elaine J
authors.initials: EJ
authors.lastname: Abrams
authors.affiliation: HIV Center for Clinical and Behavioral Studies, New York State Psychiatric Institute.|Columbia University.
authors.forename: Katherine S
authors.initials: KS
authors.lastname: Elkington
authors.affiliation: University of Connecticut.
authors.forename: Seth
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Kalichman
authors.affiliation: University of Connecticut.
authors.forename: Moira
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Kalichman
authors.affiliation: HIV Center for Clinical and Behavioral Studies, New York State Psychiatric Institute.|Columbia University.
authors.forename: Claude A
authors.initials: CA
authors.lastname: Mellins
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D019380:Anti-HIV Agents / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D005260:Female; D015658:HIV Infections / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000523:psychology*; D015438:Health Behavior; D006306:Health Surveys; D006801:Humans; D008137:Longitudinal Studies; D008297:Male; D012646:Self Administration / Q000523:psychology; D012944:Social Support; D013689:Telephone; D014481:United States; D019562:Viral Load; D055815:Young Adult; D016903:Drug Monitoring
chemical_list: D019380:Anti-HIV Agents
keywords: HIV/AIDS; adherence; adolescents; at-risk youth; chronic illness; health behavior; research design and methods