N.J. Zhang|Amanda Terry
Effects of health literacy on patients' adherence to prescribed medications: Narrative systematic review and meta-analysis
University of Central Florida|University of Central Florida
low medication adherence serious preventable issue facing health care services today although health care providers accountable provide appropriate information patients regarding medication treatment patients ability understand information process providerpatient communication overlooked using systematic literature review subsequent metaanalysis study evaluates impact health literacy predictor medication adherence among patients chronic diseases articles identified literature searches conducted medline pubmed cinahl psycinfo international pharmaceutical abstracts web sciences review reference citations methodological variables effect sizes associations diseases measures health literacy medication adherence abstracted eligible article studies categorized disease category statistical methods significance bivariate multivariate significance insignificance literacy adherence outcome metrics population effect size association health literacy medication adherence estimated based simulation based metaanalysis across 29 studies 47 multivariate studies 80 bivariate studies reported higher health literacy levels statistically significantly associated better adherence prescribed medications wide variation association health literacy medication adherence across diseases example 75 studies diabetes reported statistical associations health literacy medication adherence 100 studies glaucoma reported statistical associations monte carlo simulation based metaanalysis found statistically significant association health literacy medication adherence p0001 although unweighted population effect size relatively small r0122 95 confidence interval 00849 0159 health literacy proven predictor medication adherence potent diseases others adherence intervention may focus patients health literacy providerpatient communications health information exchange