Effect of Medagogy–Based Medication Literacy Enhancement on Medication Adherence Among Older Persons with Physical Multimorbidity: Randomized Controlled Trial

Abstract

Medication non-adherence leads to poor clinical outcomes, particularly in older people with physical multimorbidity. The Medagogy model is a patient education process which enhances medication literacy resulting in medication adherence. This randomized controlled trial examined the effect of the Medagogy-Based Medication Literacy Enhancement Program on medication adherence among older persons with physical multimorbidity. One hundred participants aged 60 and over with two or more physical chronic conditions living in northern Thailand were randomly assigned into either a control group (n = 50) or an experimental group (n = 50). The control group received only usual care, while the experimental group received the Medagogy-Based Medication Literacy Enhancement Program. The program consisted of exchanging information based on the P-pathophysiology, I-indication, T-treatment, and S-specific through transformative learning and the teach-back method, with six sessions, implemented twice a week for three weeks. Medication adherence was measured using the Brief Medication Questionnaire at the 8th week of the program. Data were analyzed using descriptive statistics and Paired and Independent t-tests. The results showed that after receiving the program, the experimental group had a significantly higher mean score for medication adherence than the control group. The results indicated that enhancing medication literacy through transformative learning resulted in improvement in medication adherence among older persons with physical multimorbidity. Therefore, nurses can use the Medagogy-Based Medication Literacy Enhancement Program to improve medication adherence among this population group. Further testing in other chronic conditions for the generalizability of the program and integrating digital technology or e-Health into the program are suggested.