Telephone-based nursing strategy to improve adherence to antipsychotic treatment in schizophrenia: A controlled trial

Abstract Objective. Adherence to prescribed antipsychotic medication is a major factor in achieving optimal long-term clinical outcomes. The aim of this study was to evaluate the impact of a telephone-based strategy provided by a nurse on adherence to antipsychotic treatment among patients with schizophrenia. Methods. A total of 928 clinically stable outpatients with schizophrenia were randomized to receive a monthly telephone call by a nurse or routine clinical care. Telephone calls were performed at weeks 4, 8, and 12, consisting of a standardized interview to detect and assess therapeutic adherence and subjective attitude towards medication. Patients were followed for 4 months. A cut-point of ≥ 60% of prescribed dose was used to classify patients as being adherent. Results. At week 16, a significantly higher percentage of patients who received a telephone-based follow-up (96.7%, n = 410) were classified as adherent compared to the control group (91.2%, n = 402) (P = 0.0007). Patients in the intervention group were significantly more likely to be adherent than control group (adjusted OR = 3.3 95% CI 1.6-6.6, P = 0.0001). Conclusions. Telephone-based nursing strategy showed a significant improvement in adherence to antipsychotic drugs. Further studies are necessary to confirm if this kind of intervention could be a complementary strategy to optimize adherence in patients with schizophrenia.