The MedSupport Multilevel Intervention to Enhance Support for Pediatric Medication Adherence: Development and...

Area of Science:

• Pediatric Oncology
• Pharmacology
• Health Services Research

Background:

• Medication adherence is critical for pediatric acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL) treatment effectiveness.
• Existing interventions often fail to address the complex barriers to adherence.
• The MedSupport intervention was developed to target these root causes.

Purpose of the Study:

• To evaluate the feasibility and acceptability of the MedSupport intervention.
• To gather preliminary data for a future full-scale randomized controlled trial.
• To assess the intervention's potential to improve home-based chemotherapy adherence.

Main Methods:

• A pilot study was conducted at Roswell Park involving caregivers and healthcare providers of pediatric ALL patients on oral chemotherapy.
• Feasibility was assessed by participation rates, completion of screening questionnaires, and intervention fidelity.
• Acceptability was measured using standardized self-report scales for both caregivers and healthcare providers.

Main Results:

• 100% of eligible caregivers and healthcare providers agreed to participate, demonstrating high demand.
• All participating families completed adherence barrier screening, with all endorsing barriers.
• Both caregivers and healthcare providers rated the MedSupport intervention as highly acceptable, appropriate, and feasible.
• Objective measures confirmed the feasibility of capturing intervention fidelity and demonstrated engagement.

Conclusions:

• The MedSupport intervention is a feasible, acceptable, low-cost, and scalable approach.
• The pilot study provides a strong foundation for future research into MedSupport's efficacy.
• Further investigation is warranted to determine MedSupport's effectiveness in enhancing medication adherence for pediatric ALL patients.