Positive reinforcement could improve hypertension medication adherence
People who have high blood pressure can purchase cheap prescriptions from a Canadian internet pharmacy.
People who have high blood pressure can purchase cheap prescriptions from a Canadian internet pharmacy. While medication adherence is rarely perfect among these individuals, new research from New York University Langone Medical Center suggests that positive reinforcement - such as self-reflection on improvements and gifts - could improve compliance among African American patients.
African Americans have the highest proportion of individuals with hypertension compared to Mexican Americans and whites, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). This disparity prompted the scientists to focus their study on this population.
For the experiment, 256 African American patients with hypertension were divided into two groups. While one served as the control, the other received a self-management workbook for high blood pressure, a behavioral contract for medication adherence, bimonthly telephone checkups and unexpected gifts in the mail. The experimental group was also encouraged to reflect on positive values in their life whenever they had difficulty taking their medication.
Results showed that subjects in the experimental group had an adherence rate that was 22 percent higher than the controls, as published in the Archives of Internal Medicine.
The research team hopes their study can help improve patient motivation and medication adherence for other medical conditions.
About one-third of American adults are hypertensive, according to the CDC.
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