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Assessment of adherence with medications in human immunodeficiency virus-infected children

E Katko1, G M Johnson, S L Fowler

  • 1Department of Pediatrics Medical University of South Carolina Charleston, SC, USA.

The Pediatric Infectious Disease Journal
|December 12, 2001
PubMed

Insights

Caregiver screening reliably predicts medication adherence in children with HIV. Nonadherence to appointments or inability to describe the regimen indicates poor adherence, impacting virologic response.

Area of Science:

  • Pediatric infectious diseases
  • HIV/AIDS management
  • Pharmacological adherence research

Background:

  • Medication adherence is critical for managing HIV infection in children.
  • Reliable screening tools are needed to identify children at risk of nonadherence.
  • Poor adherence can lead to treatment failure and disease progression.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To assess the reliability of caregiver screening for predicting medication adherence in pediatric HIV.
  • To identify specific caregiver-reported factors associated with medication nonadherence.
  • To evaluate the link between adherence levels and virologic outcomes.

Main Methods:

  • Cross-sectional study involving caregivers of HIV-infected children.
  • Screening questions focused on regimen understanding and appointment adherence.
  • Medication adherence assessed through caregiver reports and/or pharmacy refill data.
  • Virologic response defined by viral load suppression.

Main Results:

  • Caregivers unable to describe the medication regimen were significantly less likely to achieve adherence.
  • Nonadherence with scheduled appointments was a strong predictor of poor medication adherence.
  • Adherence to at least 90% of prescribed medication doses was associated with achieving a virologic response.

Conclusions:

  • Caregiver screening offers a reliable method for identifying potential nonadherence in pediatric HIV.
  • Targeted interventions for caregivers with poor regimen understanding or appointment adherence are warranted.
  • Improving medication adherence is essential for optimizing virologic outcomes in children with HIV.

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