Medication-taking Preferences & Practices of Patients With Chronic Conditions

"Patients can easily be overwhelmed, confused and many times don't fully understand their need for new medications, or when the dosages are to be administered" (patient research partner quote). The long-term goal of this study is to refine medication science by developing patient-centered assessment, monitoring and management guidelines for patients and health professionals. The objective is to advance knowledge about the medication-taking perspectives, experiences, and behaviors of older adults with multiple chronic medical conditions (MCMC) to inform future research related to patient-centered medication prescribing, monitoring and management. This pilot study addresses the following PCORI interest area: "evaluating methods that can be used to assess the patient perspective when researching behaviors and choices within the patient's control that may influence outcomes." The rationale that underlies the proposed study is that medication-taking practices are wholly within patients' control, and are foundational to reducing complications and improving outcomes for those with MCMC. To meet the overall objective of this application, the following specific aims will be pursued: 1) identify perceptions and behaviors surrounding the medication-taking process of older adults with MCMC; and 2) generate an interpretation of the meaning of medication-taking among older adults with MCMC. To achieve these aims, data will be obtained in "real time" from patients (N=30) receiving a new prescription using smart phone technology. The smart phones will include prompts to help participants record thoughts about medication use throughout the day for 30 days. Findings from electronic diaries will be logged, analyzed and qualitatively analyzed. Some patients (n=15) will provide in-depth hermeneutic interviews to provide rich descriptions and interpretive commentary about the experience of receiving a new medication prescription. The objective is to uncover previously unidentified areas of common experience in older persons with multiple chronic conditions who have received a new prescription. Common experiences and patterns of influences, that are often surprising or unexpected, will be categorized and assessed. The expected outcomes of this pilot study are improved knowledge of medication-taking perceptions, experiences, and practices of older adults with MCMC-knowledge that is critical to advance patient-centered medication science.