Parkinson's Disease Medication Adherence Scale: Conceptualization, Scale Development, and Clinimetric Testing Plan.

Area of Science:

• * Pharmacology and Patient Adherence
• * Clinical Scale Development
• * Chronic Disease Management

Background:

• * Medication adherence is critical for managing chronic diseases like Parkinson's disease (PD).
• * PD presents complex treatment regimens, creating significant adherence barriers for patients.
• * Developing validated scales is essential for understanding and improving medication adherence in PD.

Purpose of the Study:

• * To present the development process of the Parkinson's Disease Medication Adherence Scale (PD-MAS).
• * To outline the clinimetric testing plan for the PD-MAS.
• * To establish a foundation for measuring medication adherence in PD patients.

Main Methods:

• * A hybrid approach based on FDA guidelines and the Benson and Clark Guide was employed.
• * A four-phase multimethod approach was used for conceptualization and clinimetric testing.
• * International collaboration between Brazil and the United States was integral to the study.

Main Results:

• * The conceptual framework for the PD-MAS was developed.
• * Item pools were generated, and content validation and pre-testing were conducted.
• * Plans for pilot testing, revision, and clinimetric validation of the PD-MAS were established.

Conclusions:

• * The development process and testing plan for PD-MAS are feasible.
• * The PD-MAS is designed to measure the complex factors of medication adherence in PD.
• * This instrument aims to enhance the understanding and management of medication adherence in Parkinson's disease.