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Correlation between adherence rates measured by MEMS and self-reported questionnaires: a meta-analysis
Lizheng Shi1, Jinan Liu, Vivian Fonseca
1Department of Health Systems Management, School of Public Health and Tropical Medicine, Tulane University, New Orleans, Louisiana, USA. lshi1@tulane.edu
Health and Quality of Life Outcomes
|September 15, 2010
Summary
Medication adherence measured by electronic monitoring systems (MEMS) and self-reported questionnaires (SRQs) are moderately correlated. This suggests that SRQs provide a practical and cost-effective estimate of medication adherence in clinical settings.
Area of Science:
- Pharmacology
- Health Services Research
- Biostatistics
Background:
- Medication adherence is crucial for treatment efficacy.
- Medication Event Monitoring Systems (MEMS) and Self-Reported Questionnaires (SRQs) are common adherence measurement tools.
- Understanding the association between MEMS and SRQs is important due to potential discrepancies and economic implications.
Purpose of the Study:
- To examine the correlations between medication adherence measured by MEMS and SRQs.
- To evaluate the economic implications of using different adherence measurement tools.
Main Methods:
- A systematic literature search was conducted from 1980-2009 across multiple databases.
- Studies reporting correlation coefficients between MEMS and SRQ adherence measures were included.
- A meta-analysis was performed using a random-effect model to pool correlation coefficients.
Main Results:
- Eleven studies (N=1,684) met the inclusion criteria.
- The pooled correlation coefficient between MEMS and SRQ adherence was 0.45 (95% CI: 0.34-0.56).
- Subgroup analyses for Pearson (rp=0.46) and Spearman (rs=0.43) correlations showed similar results.
Conclusions:
- Medication adherence measured by MEMS and SRQs demonstrates at least a moderate correlation.
- SRQs can serve as a practical and cost-effective tool for estimating medication adherence in clinical practice.
