Personalized Intervention to Improve Medication Adherence for Persons with Multiple Sclerosis.

Area of Science:

• Neuroscience
• Psychology
• Public Health

Background:

• Relapsing-remitting multiple sclerosis (RRMS) requires consistent Disease Modifying Treatment (DMT) adherence for optimal management.
• Non-adherence to DMT in RRMS can lead to disease progression and increased healthcare costs.
• Psycho-education and Motivational Interviewing (MI) are potential strategies to improve medication adherence.

Purpose of the Study:

• To assess the acceptability, retention, and efficacy of a combined face-to-face psycho-education and MI intervention for improving DMT adherence in persons with RRMS (PwRRMS).
• To evaluate the impact of the intervention on self-reported medication adherence over a 12-month period.

Main Methods:

• A quasi-experimental pre-test post-test design was used with 60 PwRRMS identified as non-adherent to their DMT.
• Participants received a combination of physician counseling, tailored MI sessions, a telephone booster, and a follow-up MI session.
• Patient-reported outcomes, including adherence scores, were collected at baseline, 6 months, and 12 months.

Main Results:

• Retention rates were reasonable, with 52 out of 60 participants completing the intervention and 46 completing the 12-month follow-up.
• Adherence scores significantly improved at the 6-month mark compared to baseline (p = 0.030).
• However, adherence scores at 12 months were not significantly different from baseline (p = 0.106), indicating a lack of sustained effect.

Conclusions:

• The combined psycho-education and MI protocol demonstrated initial efficacy in enhancing medication adherence for PwRRMS.
• The study highlights the need for sustained or more frequent interventions to maintain long-term adherence improvements.
• Further research should explore strategies for long-term adherence support in chronic disease management.