Talk to the Veterans Crisis Line now
U.S. flag
An official website of the United States government

VA Health Systems Research

Go to the VA ORD website
Go to the QUERI website

HSR&D Citation Abstract

Search | Search by Center | Search by Source | Keywords in Title

Medication Adherence as a Predictor of Outcomes in HIV-Infected Men

Hartzema AG, Uphold CR, Kwon S, Sinha K. Medication Adherence as a Predictor of Outcomes in HIV-Infected Men. Paper presented at: VA HSR&D National Meeting; 2004 Mar 10; Washington, DC.

Related HSR&D Project(s)




Abstract:

Objectives: To describe adherence rates of HIV-infected patients and to examine the validity of two measures of adherence in predicting therapy outcomes.Methods: Data from a longitudinal cohort of 122 veterans were analyzed at baseline. Complete data on both self-reported adherence and refill rate was established for 111 subjects. Administrative refill histories were abstracted from the Veterans Affairs Pharmacy Benefit Management database October 1999-Oct 2002. Self-report adherence was measured by the Patient Medication Adherence Questionnaire 7. CD4+ cells and viral loads were abstracted from the medical records.Results: The average refill rate was 82%. 31 % of enrollees had = 95% refill rate. Self-reported compliance ranged from 0% to 100%. The Spearman correlation coefficient between self reported adherence and refill adherence rate was 0.15 (p = .1158). Spearman correlation coefficients between CD4+cells, viral load and refill rates were 0.23 (p = 0.011) and -0.176 (p = 0.05), respectively. The correlation coefficient between CD4+ cell counts, viral load and self-reported adherence were 0.052 (p = 0.59) and -0.016 (p = 0.87), respectively.Conclusions: Medication adherence is a highly important determinant of improving immunity (CD4+ cells) and decreasing viral loads. Refill rate is a better predictor of outcomes then patients' self report. National guidelines recommend that at least 95% of antiretroviral medications must be taken for therapy to be effective and to avoid drug resistance. Only 27% of the patients met this criterion.Impact: Our findings highlight the importance of assessing adherence by reviewing refill history rather than relying on patients' self-report. Continuing efforts and resources are needed to improve adherence rates.





Questions about the HSR website? Email the Web Team

Any health information on this website is strictly for informational purposes and is not intended as medical advice. It should not be used to diagnose or treat any condition.