Journal of the American Association of Nurse Practitioners
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J Am Assoc Nurse Pract · May 2014
Medication adherence Part three: Strategies for improving adherence.
This is the third of a three part series on Medication Adherence in which the authors describe the continuum of adherence to nonadherence of medication usage. ⋯ The implications for nurse practitioners include using time with patients to assist them in adherence, building a trusting relationship with patients, and developing protocols for assessing and preventing nonadherence.
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Vitamin D deficiency and asthma share risk factors. Epidemiologists suggest that the U.S. prevalence of Vitamin D deficiency has increased as a result of the Westernization of culture and less time spent outdoors. Numerous studies support a patient's Vitamin D deficiency as a contributing cause to increased asthma symptoms, lower lung function levels, increased airway reactivity, and worsening asthma control. The purpose of the review article is to discuss the emerging role of Vitamin D in asthma management. ⋯ While there is no consensus on the use of Vitamin D as a mainstay in asthma treatment, research supports its consideration for use in asthma patients with low Vitamin D levels. Current evidence reinforces the need to measure Vitamin D levels for all asthma patients.