Improving Medication Adherence with Visual Aids
The Coastal Family Health Center in Mississippi has been serving residents of the Gulf Coast communities from nine locations and a handful of mobile units for more than 30 years. James DeDeaux is the center's case manager for people living with HIV/AIDS. From the time they are newly diagnosed, James develops long-term relationships with his patients. In fact, 85% of James' patients have been working with him for more than five years.
James was looking for a visual aid he could use when talking to his patients about their medications. He turned to the TARGET Center web site where he found a medication adherence form that suited his needs. The simple one-page form has sections for recording a patient's knowledge of their medication (understanding the dosage, checking the expiration date, etc.) and their adherence to their medication schedule (date of last refill, number of doses missed in the past week, etc.) The form also contains a reminder section for upcoming appointments.
The medication adherence form is designed to be used at each meeting with the patient, with columns for each appointment date. "When I show the form to the patient, I point out where they were three months ago and where they are now," James said. "Because they can see their progress, it helps to keep them from moving out of treatment."
James commented that the form was easy to find on the TARGET Center web site, and he liked that it was a technical assistance tool he could use right away. "I didn't have to develop it myself from scratch. Other people have used this form and refined it over time, and all I had to do was go online and download it."
