This Article  • References  • Full text PDF  • Send to a friend  • Save in My Folder  • Save to citation manager  • Permissions  Citing Articles  • Citation map  • Citing articles on HighWire  • Contact me when this article is cited  Related Content  • Similar articles in this journal  Social Bookmarking   What's this?

Comparison of Three Methods in Patients Prescribed Digoxin

Suzanne W. Fletcher, MD; Elizabeth M. Pappius; S. J. Harper, MD

Arch Intern Med. 1979;139(6):635-638.

Abstract
Medication compliance is an important medical process, and useful methods are needed to measure compliance in clinical practice. Interview, pill count, and serum digoxin concentration (SDC) were compared in 173 patients prescribed digoxin to determine (1) feasibility, ease, timeliness; (2) reasons for noncompliance; and (3) validity of interview and pill count compared with SDC. All patients were interviewed; among 33 (19%) not taking their medication correctly, nine (5%) did not know how. Pill counts were possible for 68 patients (39%). One patient had a correct pill count. Steady-state SDCs were obtained for 143 patients (83%), but were not available during patients' visits. The SDCs for 25 patients were <0.50 ng/mL. Interviews correlated with SDCs, pill counts did not. Pill counts and SDCs required telephoning patients before appointments. In clinical practice, interview may be the most useful method of measuring medication compliance.

(Arch Intern Med 139:635-638, 1979)

Author Affiliations
From the Departments of Medicine and Epidemiology and Health, McGill University and the McGill University Clinic, Royal Victoria Hospital, Montreal. Dr Fletcher is now with the Department of Medicine, University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill.

Footnotes
Accepted for publication Nov 3, 1978.

Reprint requests to Department of Medicine, Box 83, North Carolina Memorial Hospital, Chapel Hill, NC 27514 (Dr Fletcher).

CiteULike    Connotea    Del.icio.us    Digg    Reddit    Technorati    Twitter     What's this?

THIS ARTICLE HAS BEEN CITED BY OTHER ARTICLES

Telephone Counseling to Improve Osteoporosis Treatment Adherence: An Effectiveness Study in Community Practice Settings
Cook et al.
American Journal of Medical Quality 2007;22:445-456.
ABSTRACT  

Are Patients Reliable When Self-Reporting Medication Use? Validation of Structured Drug Interviews and Home Visits by Drug Analysis and Prescription Data in Acutely Hospitalized Patients
Glintborg et al.
J Clin Pharmacol 2007;47:1440-1449.
ABSTRACT | FULL TEXT  

Discharge Education Improves Clinical Outcomes in Patients With Chronic Heart Failure
Koelling et al.
Circulation 2005;111:179-185.
ABSTRACT | FULL TEXT  

Measurement, Correlates, and Health Outcomes of Medication Adherence Among Seniors
Vik et al.
The Annals of Pharmacotherapy 2004;38:303-312.
ABSTRACT | FULL TEXT  

Drug related medical emergencies in the elderly: role of adverse drug reactions and non-compliance
Malhotra et al.
Postgrad. Med. J. 2001;77:703-707.
ABSTRACT | FULL TEXT  

Improving on a Coin Toss To Predict Patient Adherence to Medications
Turner and Hecht
ANN INTERN MED 2001;134:1004-1006.
FULL TEXT  

Non-compliance and knowledge of prescribed medication in elderly patients with heart failure
Cline et al.
Eur J Heart Fail 1999;1:145-149.
ABSTRACT | FULL TEXT  

Can Physicians Warn Patients of Potential Side Effects Without Fear of Causing Those Side Effects?
Lamb et al.
Arch Intern Med 1994;154:2753-2756.
ABSTRACT  

Management of Heart Failure: II. Counseling, Education, and Lifestyle Modifications
Dracup et al.
JAMA 1994;272:1442-1446.
ABSTRACT  

Noncompliance With Congestive Heart Failure Therapy in the Elderly
Monane et al.
Arch Intern Med 1994;154:433-437.
ABSTRACT  

Is This Patient Taking the Treatment as Prescribed?
Stephenson et al.
JAMA 1993;269:2779-2781.
ABSTRACT  

The Role of Medication Noncompliance and Adverse Drug Reactions in Hospitalizations of the Elderly
Col et al.
Arch Intern Med 1990;150:841-845.
ABSTRACT  

Improving Pediatricians' Compliance-Enhancing Practices: A Randomized Trial
Maiman et al.
Arch Pediatr Adolesc Med 1988;142:773-779.
ABSTRACT  

Understanding and Improving Patient Compliance
ERAKER et al.
ANN INTERN MED 1984;100:258-268.
ABSTRACT