Interventions to Improve Medication Adherence in Adult Kidney Transplant Recipients: a Systematic Review

Background: In kidney transplantation, adherence to immunosuppressive therapy is paramount for long-term graft survival. This systematic review aimed to assess the effectiveness of interventions to improve medication adherence in adult kidney transplantation.

Methods: Eight electronic databases were searched from inception to November 2013. Only primary intervention studies, which reported measurement of adherence to immunosuppressive medications after kidney transplantation, were included. The quality of all studies was assessed using the Consolidated Standards of Reporting Trials and Transparent Reporting of Evaluations with Non-randomized Designs checklists. A synthesis was undertaken to tease out the domains targeted by interventions: (i) educational/cognitive, (ii) counselling/behavioural, (iii) psychologic/affective and (iv) financial support. For each study, key information, such as population, location, methods of measurements, comparison group, type of intervention and outcomes, were extracted and tabulated.

Results: Twelve intervention studies were identified. Quality of studies ranged from 16.0 to 80.5%. Effective interventions were implemented for 3, 6 and 12 months. Medication adherence rates were greatly enhanced when multidimensional interventions were implemented whereas one-off feedback from a nurse and financial assistance programmes offered little improvement. Dose administration aids when used in conjunction with self-monitoring also improved adherence. The number of patients who had a drug holiday (at least 1-day interval without a dose) was higher in a once-daily regimen than a twice-daily regimen.

Conclusions: The findings of this review suggest an intervention targeting behavioural risk factors or a combination of behavioural, educational and emotional changes is effective in enhancing medication adherence. Effectiveness of an intervention may be further enhanced if patients are encouraged to participate in the development process.