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
Comparative Study
. 2016 Sep 1;43(5):576-82.
doi: 10.1188/16.ONF.576-582.

The Association Between Patient-Reported and Objective Oral Anticancer Medication Adherence Measures: A Systematic Review

Thomas M Atkinson  1 , Vivian M Rodríguez  1 , Mallorie Gordon  1 , Isabelle K Avildsen  1 , Jessica C Emanu  1 , Sarah T Jewell  2 , Kimberly A Anselmi  1 , Pamela K Ginex  1
Affiliations
Comparative Study

The Association Between Patient-Reported and Objective Oral Anticancer Medication Adherence Measures: A Systematic Review

Thomas M Atkinson et al. Oncol Nurs Forum. .

Abstract

Problem identification: Oral anticancer medication (OAM) use has been steadily increasing, leading to several patient benefits. A notable challenge for nurses is accurate monitoring of patient OAM regimens because nonadherence is associated with poor health outcomes and decreased survival. Currently, no gold standard measure of OAM adherence exists. The authors conducted a systematic review of the association between objective and patient-reported measures of OAM adherence. .

Literature search: A systematic electronic literature search was conducted using PubMed, EMBASE, Scopus, PsycINFO®, Cochrane Library, Web of Science, and CINAHL® databases through November 2014. .

Data evaluation: Articles were independently reviewed to determine whether they included an original characterization of the level of association between objective and patient-reported measures of OAM adherence. .

Synthesis: From a total of 11,135 articles retrieved, eight studies met inclusion criteria. Objective adherence was primarily assessed using pill counts or Medication Event Monitoring System (MEMSCap™). Patient-reported adherence was most commonly assessed using study-specific questionnaires. Significant positive correlations were observed between objective and patient-reported adherence across most studies, with three studies reporting higher rates of adherence via patient reporting. .

Conclusions: Despite variation in the OAMs and measures used, patient-reported adherence rates were equal to or higher than objective adherence measures across studies. Social desirability bias may be a concern; however, given the significant concordance observed, using patient-reported methods in future studies of OAM adherence may be justified. .

Implications for nursing: This review provides evidence to support nursing use of patient-reported measures to accurately monitor OAM adherence and potentially improve the quality of patient-provider communication.

Keywords: medication adherence; neoplasms; oral medicine; patient outcome assessment.

PubMed Disclaimer

Figures

Figure 1
Figure 1. Medical Subject Heading (MeSH) and Keyword Terms for the Literature Search
Figure 2
Figure 2. PRISMA (Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses) Flow Chart
See this image and copyright information in PMC

References

    1. Addeo R, Iodice P, Maiorino L, Febbraro A, Incoronato P, Pisano A, et al. Del Prete S. Acceptance and adherence of oral endocrine therapy in women with metastatic breast cancer: Exacampania group study. Breast Journal. 2015;21:326–328. doi: 10.1111/tbj.12409. - DOI - PubMed
    1. Bedell CH. A changing paradigm for cancer treatment: The advent of new oral chemotherapy agents. Clinical Journal of Oncology Nursing. 2003;7(Suppl):5–9. doi: 10.1188/03.CJON.S6.5-9. - DOI - PubMed
    1. Bestvina CM, Zullig LL, Rushing C, Chino F, Samsa GP, Altomare I, et al. Zafar SY. Patient-oncologist cost communication, fnancial distress, and medication adherence. Journal of Oncology Practice. 2014;10:162–167. doi: 10.1200/JOP.2014.001406. - DOI - PMC - PubMed
    1. Borner MM, Schoffski P, de Wit R, Caponigro F, Comella G, Sulkes A, et al. Fumoleau P. Patient preference and pharmacokinetics of oral modulated UFT versus intravenous fuorouracil and leucovorin: A randomised crossover trial in advanced colorectal cancer. European Journal of Cancer. 2002;38:349–358. doi: 10.1016/s0959-8049(01)00371-9. - DOI - PubMed
    1. Boucher J, Lucca J, Hooper C, Pedulla L, Berry DL. A structured nursing intervention to address oral chemotherapy adherence in patients with non-small cell lung cancer. Oncology Nursing Forum. 2015;42:383–389. doi: 10.1188/15.ONF.383-389. - DOI - PubMed

Substances