Improving Compliance From Bandolier, March 2005; 133-4
The introductory lines of this article are not only themselves effective communication but also provide a good example of Bandolier’s simple, unambiguous style:
A third review2 is considered more promising.
The findings are equally stark.
Of seven studies, each with an intervention group of less than 50 and most with an intervention group of less than 20, that looked at single compliance enhancement interventions, only one measured an effect on compliance for more than eight weeks. None provided evidence of a single intervention that was effective.
Of eight studies looking at multifaceted interventions, five considered durations of three months or longer and intervention groups of more than 50. Two of these five studies showed a statistically significant but small benefit.
Commentary
In less than a page, Bandolier effectively and usefully, albeit not happily, describes the status of compliance research today.
Footnotes
__________- 1. Roter et al. Effectiveness of interventions to improve patient compliance: a meta-analysis. Medical Care 1998 36: 1138-1161.
2. RB Haynes et al. Interventions for helping patients to follow prescriptions for medications (Cochrane Review). In: The Cochrane Library, 2002. Chichester, UK: John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.↩ - M van Eijken et al. Interventions to improve medication compliance in older patients living in the community. A systematic review of the literature. Drugs Aging 2003 20: 229-240.↩