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Studies on improving physician guideline adherence may not be generalizable, since barriers in one setting may not be present in another. Our review offers a differential diagnosis for why physicians do not follow practice guidelines, as well as a rational approach toward improving guideline adherence and a framework for future research.

Medication adherence plays an important role in optimizing the outcomes of many treatment and preventive regimens in chronic illness. Self-report is the most common method for assessing adherence behavior in research and clinical care, but there are questions about its validity and precision. The NIH Adherence Network assembled a panel of adherence research experts working across various chronic illnesses to review selfreport medication adherence measures and research on their validity. Self-report medication adherence measures vary substantially in their question phrasing, recall periods, and response items. Self-reports tend to overestimate adherence behavior compared with other assessment methods and generally have high specificity but low sensitivity. Most evidence indicates that self-report adherence measures show moderate correspondence to other adherence measures and can significantly predict clinical outcomes. The quality of self-report adherence measures may be enhanced through efforts to use validated scales, assess the proper construct, improve estimation, facilitate recall, reduce social desirability bias, and employ technologic delivery. Self-report medication adherence measures can provide actionable information despite their limitations. They are preferred when speed, efficiency, and low-cost measures are required, as is often the case in clinical care. KeywordsAdherence, Compliance, Self-management, Medication, Self-report Valid measurement of medication adherence plays a crucial role in healthcare and health research. When a patient is not benefiting from a medication regimen, clinicians need sound adherence information to determine whether the medication is ineffective or not being taken as prescribed. Assessing medication adherence during routine clinical care can further ensure that individuals in need of adherence support interventions receive them, ideally before deleterious outcomes occur. In the context of clinical research, proper interpretation of proof-of-concept trials testing new pharmacologic regimens requires valid adherence data, because any null findings may stem from poor adherence rather than a lack of drug efficacy. Research designed to understand and promote medication adherence also requires precise methods of adherence assessment.Among many approaches to assessing medication adherence, patient self-report measures remain the most common method [1][2][3][4][5][6]. These measures are defined by asking respondents to characterize their medication adherence behavior. Self-report measures of medication adherence range from simple singleitem questions regarding missed doses to complex multi-item assessments that incorporate reasons for nonadherence [7]. The widespread use of self-report adherence measures in clinical care and research reflects their low cost and ease of implementation across a large variety of medication regimens.There are two primary challenges related to selfreport measures of medication adherence. ImplicationsPractice: Routine assessment of medication...

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Deviation from recommended timing of doses appears to be greater than from prescribed number of doses. Pharmacy dispensing records demonstrate predictive validity as measures of cumulative exposure and gaps in medication supply. Adherence levels determined from pill counts and pharmacy dispensing records correlate more closely with quantity than with timing of doses. Nonadherence reported by patients can serve as a qualitative indicator and predictor of reduced adherence.

Whilst the inhaled route is the first line administration method in the management of asthma, it is well documented that patients can have problems adopting the correct inhaler technique and thus receiving adequate medication. This applies equally to metered dose inhalers and dry powder inhalers and leads to poor disease control and increased healthcare costs. Reviews have highlighted these problems and the recent European Consensus Statement developed a call to action to seek solutions. This review takes forward the challenge of inhaler competence by highlighting the issues and suggesting potential solutions to these problems. The opportunity for technological innovation and educational interventions to reduce errors is highlighted, as well as the specific challenges faced by children. This review is intended as a policy document, as most issues faced by patients have not changed for half a century, and this situation should not be allowed to continue any longer. Future direction with respect to research, policy needs and practice, together with education requirements in inhaler technique are described.

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Background:The 1997 National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute (NHLBI) asthma guidelines include recommendations on how to improve the quality of care for asthma.