Quantifying Social Reinforcement Among Family Members on Adherence to Medications for Chronic Conditions: a US-Based Retrospective Cohort Study.

ABSTRACT:

Background

More than 50% of patients are non-adherent to medications, often without an easily identifiable reason to clinicians. No study has quantified the extent to which health behaviors like medication-taking are correlated within families using national or routinely collected data for a range of conditions.

Objective

To examine how an individual's health behaviors are influenced by those of their family members, particularly in adherence to medications for chronic conditions.

Design

Retrospective cohort study.

Patients

Using claims from a large nationwide insurer, we identified patients initiating medications for one of five chronic conditions with a family member who also recently filled one of these medications.

Main measures

The primary exposure

SUBMITTER: Lauffenburger JC 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC6544705 | biostudies-literature | 2019 Jun

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature