Medication Adherence for People with Acquired Communication Disorders: A
Systematic Review
Abstract
The aims of the current review were to identify, in the context of
people with acquired communication disorders: factors which influence
medication adherence, current interventions targeting medication
adherence, and how medication adherence is currently measured. This
study was conducted and reported in accordance with both PRISMA and SWiM
guidelines. Two authors independently screened the results of a
literature search, assessed risk of bias, and extracted relevant data.
Eight studies were identified for inclusion. Four of the studies
presented information relating to current interventions which target
medication adherence for people with acquired communication disorders.
Four of the studies investigated factors which influence medication
adherence for people with acquired communication disorders. Seven of
these eight studies outlined methods used for measuring medication
adherence. The results of this review indicate that patient related
factors are most associated with medication non-adherence in a
population with acquired communication disorders, followed by
socio-economic factors and medication-related factors. Despite the
recognised importance of medication adherence, no gold standard of
assessment or intervention currently exist for this population. Half of
the included studies replaced patients with communication difficulties
with caregiver proxies, thus reducing opportunities for patients to
participate meaningfully in research. The term “acquired communication
disorders” encompasses a range of conditions with diverse aetiologies,
presentations, and needs, and future research should be tailored to
specific patient groups most at risk of medication non-adherence, namely
those with aphasia and cognitive-communication impairments. Patients
should be empowered to participate in future research to ensure the
literature accurately represents their lived experience.