Health literacy and adherence, do they vary by medication regimen?

Objectives: It is known that achieving medication adherence is an obstacle for many patients after leaving a clinic visit. When patients do not receive their medication properly, a therapeutic intervention cannot be achieved, thus the patient is ultimately not treated properly for the indication which treatment was initially sought. The purpose in collecting this data, is to determine if a patient with a chronic disease (i.e. diabetes, hypertension, hyperlipidemia, HIV) and lower health literacy is less likely to be adherent to prescribed medication therapy.

Methods: Patients treated in general medicine and HIV primary care divisions at an urban free health clinic will be surveyed regarding their adherence to prescribed medication, and complete a REALM assessment to determine their level of health literacy. From these results, patients' adherence profiles and health literacy level will be evaulted according to the conditions for which they are treated.

Results: At this time, it is expected that those patients with lower health literacy will have poorer adherence rates to their medication regimen, but it is unknown if those with certain chronic conditions are less likely to be adherent (i.e. Are diabetic patients less adherent than hypertensive patients?).

Conclusion: Through this study we will be able to identify effectiveness of communication between the clinician and patient regarding prescription drug therapy, assess if there is a need for greater counseling of patients in regards to directions of use or acquisition of medication, and identify disease specific barriers to medication adherence. Through these discoveries, we may understand the rising cost of healthcare when chronic disease states go untreated or mismanaged, and learn innovative ways to to help pharmacists educate patients in self care, thus decreasing health care expenses and improving chronic disease outcomes.