Why the study?
Do self-report and biochemical tracer methods accurately estimate medication compliance compared to MEMS in cocaine-dependent participants?
Do self-report and biochemical tracer methods accurately estimate medication compliance compared to MEMS in cocaine-dependent participants?
Medication compliance rates vary significantly depending on the measurement method, with subjective reports likely overestimating actual pill-taking behavior compared to electronic monitoring.
Self-report and riboflavin overestimate compliance in cocaine dependence; challenges their validity and leaves open MEMS standardization in trials.
The purpose of this study was to compare compliance estimates based on 3 methods of measuring medication taking: self-report, an electronic medication event measurement system (MEMS), and a biochemical tracer (riboflavin). During the first 4 weeks of a placebo-controlled, double-blind trial, cocaine-dependent participants (N = 55) took their assigned study medications and provided data to assess daily pill-taking behavior. MEMS-based estimates of medication compliance were substantially lower than riboflavin or self-report (28%, 78%, and 87%, respectively). Using MEMS as a reference or “gold standard,” self-report, riboflavin, and their combination demonstrated poor ability to detect non-compliance (AUCs < 0.60). Medication compliance rates vary depending on measurement method, with subjective reports more likely to overestimate actual pill-taking behavior.
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Mooney et al. (2004) studied this question.
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