Interventions to improve medication-adherence after transplantation: a systematic review

Area of Science:

• Medical Science
• Transplantation Medicine
• Pharmacology

Background:

• Adherence to medical regimens is critical for solid organ transplant recipients.
• Intervention studies to improve medication adherence in this population are limited.
• Existing research often lacks detailed intervention descriptions, hindering evaluation.

Purpose of the Study:

• To systematically review interventions aimed at improving medication adherence in solid organ transplant recipients.
• To identify effective strategies and challenges in enhancing adherence.
• To guide future research and clinical practice.

Main Methods:

• Systematic review of 12 intervention studies.
• Included studies focused on renal, heart, and liver transplant recipients.
• Analysis of randomized controlled trial (RCT) designs and intervention components.

Main Results:

• Only five of the 12 studies reported statistically significant improvements in medication adherence.
• Interventions often combined patient-focused (educational, behavioral, psychologic) and system-level approaches.
• No single intervention demonstrated superiority; system-level interventions showed limited improvement.

Conclusions:

• Enhancing medication adherence in organ transplantation requires multifaceted strategies.
• A combination of interventions within a team-based chronic disease management approach may be effective long-term.
• Future high-quality studies, adhering to CONSORT guidelines, are vital for identifying optimal interventions.