It’s no secret that we must take medication whenever we feel sick. After all, medicine is meant to alleviate the suffering one might experience. However, it can be challenging for medical professionals to determine what should be prescribed. While most examinations work, there are instances where a condition might seem more profound than it looks. This is where medication adherence examinations come in.
Evaluating a patient’s medication adherence is necessary because it helps manage chronic conditions and improve overall health. Sometimes, it can be done through patient interviews and submitting the required data, but this isn’t always the case for less apparent complications. The good news is that various questionnaires can help evaluate a patient’s medication adherence, which helps healthcare professionals understand the situation. These include:
#1 – Brief Medication Questionnaire (BMQ)
BMQ is a semi-structured questionnaire designed to get a quick and easy view of patients’ perspectives on their medical conditions. This way, providers can view patients’ psychological problems and their responses to their treatment. With this, they can better understand what is being taken and what can be done to improve their care.
#2 – Medication Adherence Questionnaire (MAQ)
Unlike the BMQ, the MAQ is a more comprehensive assessment involving the patient and their family members. The MAQ is a questionnaire used to establish a patient’s adherence rate and attitude towards taking their medications. The MAQ also highlights how patients can improve their overall adherence.
#3 – Drug Attitude Inventory Questionnaire (DAI)
The DAI is the definitive test for psychiatric conditions, making it perfect for those with emotional issues. This is because it indicates the patient’s attitudes towards taking medicine, which can be a great way to determine their needs.
#4 – Medication Adherence Rating Scale (MARS)
The MARS is unique because it combines aspects of MAQ and DAI, making it the perfect solution for evaluating a patient based on their physical and psychiatric needs. This is an excellent solution for patients with a history of emotional or chronic pain conditions.
#5 – Hill-Bone Compliance Scale
The Hill-Bone Compliance Scale is used for hypertensive patients to rank their compliance with their current medication. This is typically done by having the patient take the scale, which prompts them to answer some questions that measure their attitudes towards medicines. The results are then compared to the actual questionnaires, allowing physicians to determine how accurate the patient’s responses were.
#6 – Morisky Scale
The Morisky scale, also known as the MMAS-8, is applied to various conditions such as hypertension, diabetes, and asthma. This questionnaire measures a patient’s compliance with their prescribed medication plans so that healthcare providers can develop a better treatment plan. This questionnaire is also notable for requiring a licensing fee before being distributed, ensuring that anyone who uses it is a trained medical provider.
#7 – Summary of Diabetes Self-Care Activities Assessment (SDSCA)
As the name suggests, the SDSCA is geared towards people with diabetes. The SDSCA evaluates a patient’s self-management for the past 7 days for physicians to gain insight into their overall performance. This way, they can highlight areas that need to be worked on, providing a better treatment plan.
#8 – Adherence to Refills and Medications Scale (ARMS)
ARMS is also a unique medical questionnaire for patients with low literacy levels. While this is typically an issue that is overlooked, it’s a reality that must be addressed. Since most medications require patients to read the instructions, the exam helps improve the patient’s comprehension of their medicines by having them answer questions that measure their understanding.
ARMS also has an ARMS-D variant, which is for diabetic patients. This differs from SDSCA because it has an additional section for diabetes-related questions.
Conclusion
These exams are an excellent way for physicians to better understand a patient’s medication. It’s a good solution for those who might be completely lost on what to do, especially when managing chronic conditions. All that matters is knowing what works best because patients don’t always have the same situation.
If you’re looking for the best care management solutions, Medistics can help you! Healthcare should never be taken for granted, so we’re here to ensure you get the care you deserve through monitoring and direct action. Simply go to our website to book a consultation!