Effect of Occupational Therapy in Promoting Medication Adherence

Effect of Occupational Therapy in Promoting Medication Adherence: A Randomized Control Trial

The purpose of this research study is to see if an occupational therapist can help people with high blood pressure and/or diabetes find ways to better take their medicine. Participants will be recruited from the Jordan Valley Community Health Center in Springfield, Missouri.

The purpose of this study is to determine whether the addition of an occupational therapy intervention to counseling by a clinical pharmacist (current usual care) compared to counseling by a clinical pharmacist only, will affect three-month medication adherence rates among community-dwelling adults with uncontrolled hypertension and/or diabetes.

To meet this purpose, the following objectives will be addressed:

1. to determine if the addition of the delivery of an occupational therapy intervention (specifically the Integrative Self-Management Intervention) to usual care improves three-month medication adherence rates, as measured by the Adherence to Refills and Medication Scale (ARMS-7), pill count, blood pressure and/or hemoglobin A1c.
2. to determine whether the administration of the occupational therapy intervention in addition to usual care influences an individual's readiness for change as measured by the stages of change measure; and
3. to explore whether participant demographics (e.g., gender, age, race/ethnicity, assist at home, co-morbidities, and number of medications) impact three-month medication adherence rates.

Inclusion Criteria:

• Jordan Valley Community Health Center clients will be considered eligible for inclusion in the study if they are 18 years or older, have a confirmed diagnosis of hypertension, receive a score of less than or equal to 21 on the Adherence to Refills and Medication Scale (ARMS-7) and they provide written informed consent.

Exclusion Criteria:

• Participants will be excluded if they indicate via self-report that they are unable to read or understand spoken English without an interpreter or translator or if they have a medical power of attorney and are unable to provide their own informed consent.