Skip to main page content
U.S. flag

An official website of the United States government

Dot gov

The .gov means it’s official.
Federal government websites often end in .gov or .mil. Before sharing sensitive information, make sure you’re on a federal government site.

Https

The site is secure.
The https:// ensures that you are connecting to the official website and that any information you provide is encrypted and transmitted securely.

Access keys NCBI Homepage MyNCBI Homepage Main Content Main Navigation
Randomized Controlled Trial
. 2011 Nov-Dec;25(6):864-70.
doi: 10.1111/j.1399-0012.2010.01358.x. Epub 2010 Nov 16.

Taking immunosuppressive medications effectively (TIMELink): a pilot randomized controlled trial in adult kidney transplant recipients

Cynthia Russell  1 , Vicki Conn, Catherine Ashbaugh, Richard Madsen, Mark Wakefield, Andrew Webb, Deanna Coffey, Leanne Peace
Affiliations
Randomized Controlled Trial

Taking immunosuppressive medications effectively (TIMELink): a pilot randomized controlled trial in adult kidney transplant recipients

Cynthia Russell et al. Clin Transplant. 2011 Nov-Dec.

Abstract

Background: Immunosuppressive medication non-adherence is one of the most prevalent but preventable causes of poor outcomes in adult renal transplant recipients, yet there is a paucity of studies testing interventions in this area.

Methods: Using a randomized controlled trial design, 30 adult renal transplant recipients were screened for medication non-adherence using electronic monitoring. Fifteen non-adherent participants were randomized to receive either a continuous self-improvement intervention or attention control management. The six-month continuous self-improvement intervention involved the participant and clinical nurse specialist collaboratively identifying the person's life routines, important people, and possible solutions to enhance medication taking. The participant then received individual monthly medication taking feedback delivered via a graphic printout of daily medication taking generated from electronic monitoring.

Results: The mean medication adherence score for the continuous self-improvement intervention group (n = 8) was statistically significantly higher than the attention control group's (n = 5) mean medication adherence score (p = 0.03). The continuous self-improvement intervention effect size (Cohen's d) was large at 1.4. Participants' perceptions of the intervention were highly favorable.

Conclusions: The continuous self-improvement intervention shows promise as an effective and feasible approach to improve medication adherence in adult renal transplant recipients. A fully-powered study with a diverse sample is needed to confirm these preliminary findings.

PubMed Disclaimer

Conflict of interest statement

Conflict of interest: None.

Figures

Fig. 1
Fig. 1
Flow of participants through the study.
Fig. 2
Fig. 2
Comparison of medication adherence scores between groups.
See this image and copyright information in PMC

References

    1. Crom DB, Hathaway DK, Tolley E. The use of stepwise multiple linear regression to predict quality of life after kidney transplantation. J Transpl Coord. 1995;5:72.
    1. Hauser ML, Williams J, Strong M, Ganza M, Hathaway D. Predicted and actual quality of life changes following renal transplantation. ANNA J. 1991;18:295. - PubMed
    1. Manninen DL, Evans RW, Dugan MK. Work disability, functional limitations, and the health status of kidney transplantation recipients posttransplant. In: Terasaki P, editor. Clin Transplant. Los Angeles, CA: UCLA Tissue Typing Laboratory; 1991. p. 193. - PubMed
    1. Wolfe RA, Roys EC, Merion RM. Trends in organ donation and transplantation in the United States, 1999–2008. Am J Transplant. 2010;10(Pt 2):961. - PubMed
    1. Sabate E. Adherence to Long-Term Therapies: Evidence for Action. Geneva, Switzerland: World Health Organization; 2003.

Publication types

Substances