Evaluating Ways to Improve Medication Use Among People With Osteoporosis

Summary

Osteoporosis is a common bone disease in older adults in which the bones become weaker and prone to fracture. Medications are available to slow or even stop disease progression. However, very few adults who are prescribed osteoporosis medications actually follow through with filling their prescriptions and taking the medications. Ways to improve medication use have not been well developed or adequately tested. The purpose of this study is to evaluate a telephone coaching program, with or without helpful adherence notifications to doctors, in improving treatment adherence in older adults who are starting an osteoporosis medication.

Conditions

• Osteoporosis

Interventions

BEHAVIORAL

Mailed education

Mailed education materials on osteoporosis and medication use over a 1-year period

BEHAVIORAL

Telephone coaching program for patients

A telephone coaching program that will involve twelve monthly 5- to 10-minute phone calls from a health educator who is specially trained in osteoporosis. The phone calls will involve coaching participants on behavioral reinforcement strategies that will help them to continue taking their medications on schedule; phone calls will also include specially tailored education on osteoporosis and fracture prevention. A close family member or friend of the participant will also be contacted via phone two times during the study by the health educator. During these phone calls, the family member or friend will learn how to support the participant in such a way that medication adherence is more likely.

BEHAVIORAL

Medication adherence alert program for doctors

Doctors of participants will receive written educational information on the rates of medication adherence, implications of nonadherence, and methods for improving adherence among people with osteoporosis. Doctors will also receive alerts on any patients who are not filling their medication prescriptions.

Sponsors & Collaborators

• National Institute of Arthritis and Musculoskeletal and Skin Diseases (NIAMS)

  collaborator NIH

• Brigham and Women's Hospital

  lead OTHER

Principal Investigators

• Daniel H. Solomon, MD, MPH · Brigham and Women's Hospital

• Timothy Gleeson, BS · Brigham and Women's Hospital

Study Design

Allocation

RANDOMIZED

Purpose

TREATMENT

Masking

NONE

Model

PARALLEL

Eligibility

Min Age

65 Years

Sex

ALL

Healthy Volunteers

No

Timeline & Regulatory

Start

2007-11-30

Primary Completion

2009-12-31

Completion

2011-01-31

Countries

• United States

Study Locations