The impact of brief intervention on adherence to medication regimen of low-income adults with Type 2 diabetes

Patient nonadherence with medication regimen is a common problem facing health care providers treating adult patients with Type 2 diabetes. Poor glycemic control, diabetes related complications, and increased utilization and health care costs are among the outcomes of poor compliance with medical regimen. Prior research indicates moderate success with several techniques to improve medication adherence when used alone. However, the literature suggests a need for an intervention providing a multi-component technique, implementing self-motivating skills and follow-up prompts. Using a 15- minute single exposure intervention, the current study attempted to combine these two procedures (brief intervention including motivational interviewing with follow-up prompts) in an attempt to increase adherent behaviors in low-income adults with type 2 diabetes. Medication adherence was measured by HbA1c, which is a biological marker that is widely considered to be a reliable indicator of adherent behavior, as well as pharmacy records. Results indicate nonsignificant findings for both HbA1c and pharmacy refill measures.