A randomized controlled trial to provide adherence information and motivational interviewing to improve diabetes and...

The purpose of this study was to assess whether providing medication adherence information with or without motivational interviewing improves diabetes and lipid control.

Study participants were adult members of a health system in southeast Michigan, were using both oral diabetes and lipid-lowering medications, and had glycated hemoglobin (A1C) or low-density lipoprotein cholesterol (LDL-C) levels not at goal. Participants were randomly assigned to receive usual care (UC), n = 567; have medication adherence information (AI) provided to their physician, n = 569; or have AI and receive motivational interviewing (MI) though trained staff (AI + MI), n = 556. Primary outcomes were A1C and LDL-C levels at 18 months post randomization.

Primary outcomes were not significantly different between patients in the AI or AI + MI study arms when compared with UC. Similarly, neither oral diabetes nor lipid-lowering medication adherence was significantly different between groups. Patient participation in the AI + MI arm was low and limit the interpretation of the study results, but post hoc analysis of the AI + MI study arm showed that the number of MI sessions received was positively associated with only oral diabetes medication adherence.

Neither AI nor MI significantly improved diabetes and lipid control when compared with UC. Moreover, patient participation appeared to be a particular barrier for MI.