testing a simple patient commitment to taking medication as prescribed
Research type
Research Study
Full title
Randomised controlled trial to test if a simple and non-enforceable patient commitment device delivered in a pharmacy setting can support medication adherence.
IRAS ID
184288
Contact name
Daniel Berry
Contact email
Sponsor organisation
Department of Health
Duration of Study in the UK
0 years, 5 months, 19 days
Research summary
Poor compliance with prescription medication is an ongoing public health crisis. It can lead to increased morbidity, mortality and healthcare costs. To maximise health outcomes for those managing long-term conditions, patients need to consistently administer their prescribed medications. However, approximately 25% of medicines prescribed for long-term conditions are not taken as directed. Some estimates are higher.
Of those, more than half want to take their medication but fail to do so. These individuals therefore experience an ‘intention-action’ gap, reflecting previous studies which show that intentions are only weakly correlated with ultimate outcomes.
Why do people fail to comply in this way? A wide range of psychological factors are hypothesized to limit adherence rates. From patients simply forgetting to take them in the face of other commitments to patients missing windows of opportunity.
In this trial, we focus on recent advances in the behavioural sciences that have aimed at minimizing the intention-action gap. When individuals self-commit to achieve a particular goal, they are less likely to procrastinate and more likely to achieve it.
Research has demonstrated that whenever people make their intentions public, the behavioural impact of intentions is enhanced. Even subtle cues that direct attention toward the self can lead to surprisingly powerful effects on subsequent behaviour. Asking people to sign their name can be one way to direct attention in this way.
This trial seeks to create commitment between patients and the pharmacist by asking patients to sign their commitment to take their medication. This is not an enforceable commitment. Patients will be invited to sign a sticker that may then be attached to the medications package. Variants of this ‘commitment device’ will be tested in a pharmacy setting, as part of the existing NHS New Medicines Service.
REC name
West Midlands - Edgbaston Research Ethics Committee
REC reference
15/WM/0225
Date of REC Opinion
9 Jul 2015
REC opinion
Further Information Favourable Opinion