Evidence map›Paper›PMID 37930740›Full record

ArticleAge and ageing2023

Carer involvement in medication adherence: carer views and experiences of facilitating medication adherence using pharmacy-filled multi-compartment medication compliance aids and other methods of adherence support-a questionnaire survey.

Lieze Thielemans, Katherine Chin, Alice Hegarty, Rebekah Schiff

Registry-linked trialAbstract read
In one paragraph

Article in Age and ageing, 2023. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. It is linked to trial NCT04713215 (Thinking Outside the Box), which is not on this map. Cited by 1 paper.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
1citing papers in PubMed
–field-weighted citation impact
1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.

The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.

2 · The registry

The trial behind it

Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.

NCT04713215 completednot on this map

Thinking Outside the Box: Exploring Patient and Carer Perceptions of Medication Compliance Aids (MCAs)

TypeobservationalSponsorGuy's and St Thomas' NHS Foundation TrustRan2021 to 2022Enrolled176ConditionsMedication Compliance, Medication Adherence, Caregivers, AttitudeArmsQuestionnaire
3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

1 citing paper in PubMed.

  1. Article
4 · The record

Corrections and comments

PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

4 authors.

Lieze ThielemansDepartment of Ageing and Health, Guy's and St Thomas' NHS Foundation Trust, London, SE1 7EH, United Kingdom.
Katherine ChinDepartment of Ageing and Health, Guy's and St Thomas' NHS Foundation Trust, London, SE1 7EH, United Kingdom.ORCID 0000-0002-9383-5394
Alice HegartyDepartment of Ageing and Health, Guy's and St Thomas' NHS Foundation Trust, London, SE1 7EH, United Kingdom.
Rebekah SchiffDepartment of Ageing and Health, Guy's and St Thomas' NHS Foundation Trust, London, SE1 7EH, United Kingdom.

Funding

No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.

6 · The paper itself

Abstract

introductionUnpaid carers are an increasing proportion of the UK population. One of the many ways in which they help those they care for is assisting with medication adherence. Many older adults have medicines dispensed in pharmacy-filled multi-compartment medication compliance aids (pMCAs). However, evidence suggests that pMCAs may increase medication-related harm, and little is known about the interaction between the user, medication adherence systems and the carer.

aimTo explore the views of carers supporting older adults to manage their medications with and without a pMCA.

methodA researcher-administered questionnaire survey of carers supporting older adults to manage their medicines with or without a pMCA. Participants were recruited from inpatient wards, outpatient clinics and community services in central London. Responses were analysed by two independent researchers to identify overarching themes.

resultsEighty-eight unpaid carers were interviewed and responses were categorised according to the medication adherence method used; 47 supported a user with a pMCA and 41 supported without a pMCA. The main themes were: Time, Responsibility and Mistakes, Waste and Sustainability, and Polypharmacy, with sub-themes of design of multi-compartment medication compliance aids, organisation and reassurance.

conclusionSupporting medication adherence puts considerable burden on carers regardless of whether a self- or pharmacy-filled medication compliance aid is used or not. Prescribers could alleviate this burden through regular medication review by considering the prescribing frequency and duration and medication rationalisation. Redesign of both pMCAs and systems surrounding their use could also help reduce carer's burden and environmental burden.

Indexed as

CaregiversPharmacyAgedAmbulatory Care FacilitiesHumansMedication AdherenceSurveys and Questionnairescarerfrailtymedication adherencemedication compliance aidolder people

Identifiers

PMID37930740
PMCPMC10627250

What OpenQuestion holds

Textmetadata
LicenceCC BY-NC
Read underepoch 390

Registered trials

Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.