Medication Adherence Interventions for Older Adults With Heart Failure: A Systematic Review

Abstract

Medication adherence is crucial in patients with heart failure; however, the rate of medication nonadherence in the heart failure population is 50%, making it a significant problem. The purpose of the current review was to summarize intervention studies designed to improve medication adherence in older adults with heart failure. A search was conducted to locate randomized controlled trials or quasi-experimental studies that tested interventions to improve medication adherence in patients 45 or older with heart failure. Five of eight studies (63%) showed a statistically significant improvement in medication adherence in intervention groups. Five of these six studies used a combination of educational, behavioral, and affective interventions, and focused on medication adherence alone versus multiple health behaviors. Interventions using combined approaches and focusing only on medication adherence show the most promise for future studies. [Journal of Gerontological Nursing, 43(10), 37-45.].