Using Health Information Technology to Determine Medication Adherence: Findings from the AHRQ Health IT Portfolio

摘要

Adherence to (or compliance with) a medication regimen is generally defined as the extent to which patients take medications as prescribed by their health care providers. Adherence is important to obtaining or maintaining improved health of patients with chronic or severe health conditions. Research has reported a 76-percent discrepancy in adherence between medications prescribed and taken. The medication regimen prescribed is intended to maintain the desired level of medications in the bloodstream to achieve the desired result. Although individual studies exist in the area of adherence of a certain group of patients or to a type of medication, very little peer-reviewed literature is available on the methodology for determining medication adherence in general. Most studies develop project and study-specific approaches and methodologies in calculating adherence rates.