Alcoholism, clinical and experimental research
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Alcohol. Clin. Exp. Res. · Aug 2003
Randomized Controlled Trial Comparative Study Clinical TrialMeasurement and prediction of medication compliance in problem drinkers.
A variety of methods have been used to measure medication compliance. Although electronic monitoring has been considered to be the best method, it has some potential for error and its high cost may limit its feasibility. This study examined the concordance of data on medication compliance that was obtained by using an electronic monitoring system (Medication Event Monitoring System, or MEMS), daily diary reports, and tablet counts. ⋯ Compliance measurement using a daily diary method yielded results that are comparable to those obtained with electronic monitoring, which served as a criterion measure. In contrast, tablet counts provided data that were less concordant with the criterion measure. The unique nature of the study sample (i.e., the majority of subjects were not committed to a goal of abstinence), combined with the targeted approach to treatment, may explain the lack of association between compliance and alcohol-related outcomes. Further research should aim to ascertain the factors affecting the relationship between compliance and outcomes.