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Open research questions in Medication Adherence and Compliance

65 unresolved questions extracted from the limitations and future-work sections of 544 Medication Adherence and Compliance papers in our library. Each links back to the study that raised it.

What the literature leaves open

  • However, patient-centered outcomes, including adherence, treatment burden, and quality of life (QOL), remain underexplored in pharmacist-led settings.

    Patient-reported outcomes and associated factors in patients with heart failure: a cross-sectional study in a Malaysian medication therapy adherence clinic · 2026 · DOI

  • Given the still-limited evidence in this area, this review evaluates the impact of wearable devices on medication adherence among adults aged ≥ 65 years with at least one chronic condition, compared with usual care or other educational and technological interventions.

    Wearable devices for improving medication adherence in older adults with chronic conditions: A systematic review · 2026 · DOI

  • Despite widespread use, there are no recent national estimates of MDD prevalence in Sweden, and little is known about how use evolved through the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic or which patient groups account for most MDD utilisation.

    Trends in Multi-dose Drug Dispensing Amongst Older Adults in Sweden: A Nationwide Repeated Cross-Sectional Register Study, 2014–2023 · 2026 · DOI

  • This cross-sectional study identified multiple factors and their interactions that are associated with medication adherence in elderly patients with chronic diseases. Medication beliefs, literacy, social support, and self-efficacy are pivotal, but their effects are contextdependent and mutually reinforcing. Interventions that integrate cognitive, behavioral, and social components—particularly those addressing medication beliefs, support utilization—hold promise for improving adherence. However, longitudinal or interventional studies are needed to confirm the causal nature of these relationships and the efficacy of such multifaceted interventions.

    Psychosocial and clinical determinants of medication adherence among elderly chronic disease patients in China · 2026 · DOI

  • This study has several limitations that should be considered while interpreting the findings. The cross-sectional design limits the ability to establish causal relationships between demographic or socioeconomic factors and medication compliance. Since the study was conducted at a single tertiary care hospital, the findings may not be generalizable to other healthcare settings or populations across Pakistan. Medication compliance was assessed using a self-reported questionnaire (MMAS-4), which may be affected by recall bias and social desirability bias, potentially leading to overestimation or underestimation of compliance rates. Additionally, important factors such as psychological status, medication side effects, physician-patient communication, treatment complexity, and social support were not evaluated in the present study. The relatively small number of participants in some subgroups, particularly the high socioeconomic group, may also have affected the statistical power of subgroup analyses.

    Medication Compliance Among Sehat Sahulat Insured Patients Following Percutaneous Coronary Intervention in a Tertiary Care Hospital of Peshawar · 2026 · DOI

  • to biases, leading potentially desirability This research has some drawbacks. The cross-sectional method inhibits the determination of causation between predictors and adherence. Self-reported data may be susceptible to recall and social an underestimation of non-adherence. The study was conducted in a single province, perhaps limiting the generalizability of the findings to other regions of Iraq. Additionally, internal consistency was assessed using Cronbach’s alpha calculated for the overall instrument rather than for specific subdomains; therefore, the reported alpha value may not fully reflect internal consistency within individual constructs. A further limitation is that although the questionnaire was initially developed in English to align with international adherence frameworks, this approach may introduce subtle conceptual and cultural biases, despite the application of forward–backward translation and cultural adaptation procedures. Moreover, clinical indicators such as blood pressure regulation and comorbidities were not assessed, potentially providing further insights these constraints, the study reveals essential sociodemographic and behavioral determinants of antihypertensive adherence. adherence behavior.

    Factors associated with non-adherence to antihypertensive therapy and blood pressure control in Iraq · 2026 · DOI

  • This study involved a wide range of professional groups work- ing in diverse care settings, and we believe it provided an overview that reflects different perspectives and practices. The mixed design, combining closed questions with open-ended responses, enabled the analysis to move beyond descriptive sta- tistics and highlight underlying attitudes and perceived barriers. Nevertheless, some limitations must be considered. Because the survey relied on self-reporting, inaccuracies linked to memory or a tendency to provide socially desirable answers cannot be excluded. However, the consistently low awareness and utilization of adherence tools across professions suggest that these biases are unlikely to have substantially changed the overall picture. The findings should also be interpreted within the Italian context, as differences in healthcare organization, professional responsibilities, and cultural views of medication use may limit generalizability to other systems. In addition, the snowball recruitment strategy, with respondents’ anonymity by design, did not permit calculation of a response rate and may have affected representativeness. Lastly, the questionnaire was not subjected to formal validation procedures. Nevertheless, it was extensively revised with expert input to ensure relevance for everyday clinical practice in Italy.

    Healthcare professionals’ perspectives on medication adherence-supporting tools: a cross‑sectional survey in Italy · 2026 · DOI

  • The paper emphasizes that AI-driven adherence prediction tools must be validated and deployed across resource-limited healthcare settings bearing a disproportionate burden of chronic disease, yet current literature lacks explicit evaluation of equity considerations and implementation feasibility in low-resource contexts. Participatory governance approaches specifically designed for equitable implementation of adherence prediction models in under-resourced populations require investigation.

    Artificial intelligence approaches to predicting treatment non-adherence in chronic diseases: a narrative review · 2026 · DOI

  • External validation of AI-based adherence prediction models across diverse healthcare contexts and patient populations is lacking. Rigorous prospective trials demonstrating clinical impact must be conducted across heterogeneous healthcare systems, disease populations, and geographic settings to establish generalizability before widespread adoption in chronic disease management.

    Artificial intelligence approaches to predicting treatment non-adherence in chronic diseases: a narrative review · 2026 · DOI

  • Relatively few studies have evaluated AI-based adherence prediction models prospectively in actual clinical workflows, highlighting a critical gap between methodological development and real-world implementation. Future research must assess technical success factors alongside organizational readiness, clinician engagement, governance oversight, and human-centered design considerations in resource-limited healthcare settings.

    Artificial intelligence approaches to predicting treatment non-adherence in chronic diseases: a narrative review · 2026 · DOI

  • The literature demonstrates considerable heterogeneity in disease contexts, data sources, model architectures, and adherence outcome definitions across chronic disease adherence prediction studies, which constrains direct comparison of machine learning model performance. Standardized frameworks for defining adherence outcomes and model evaluation metrics across diverse chronic conditions are needed to enable systematic benchmarking.

    Artificial intelligence approaches to predicting treatment non-adherence in chronic diseases: a narrative review · 2026 · DOI

  • AI-based adherence prediction models predominantly rely on retrospective electronic health record and administrative datasets that contain incomplete or missing data and may not capture routine real-world medication-taking behaviors. There is a critical need for adherence prediction studies utilizing prospective data collection methods and real-time monitoring technologies to validate model performance against actual adherence patterns.

    Artificial intelligence approaches to predicting treatment non-adherence in chronic diseases: a narrative review · 2026 · DOI

  • Most adherence prediction literature terminates at machine learning model development rather than conducting prospective clinical trials to demonstrate actual impact on patient medication adherence or clinical disease control outcomes. This methodological-to-implementation gap prevents validation of whether AI-based adherence prediction models meaningfully improve treatment adherence rates in real clinical workflows.

    Artificial intelligence approaches to predicting treatment non-adherence in chronic diseases: a narrative review · 2026 · DOI

  • Yet, data on the population-level prevalence of hypertension and diabetes among the older adult Supplemental Nutritional Assistance Program (SNAP) population and the associated level of medication adherence is lacking despite evidence of the “treat or eat” trade-off in the general population.

    Hypertension, Diabetes and Medication Adherence among the Older Supplemental Nutritional Assistance Program Population · 2021 · DOI

  • The text references WHO's definition of adherence as including medication-taking, diet, and lifestyle changes, but does not clarify whether this study measured all three dimensions or only medication adherence.

    Drug Compliance among Type 2 Diabetic patients in Jazan Region, Saudi Arabia. · 2017 · DOI

  • The paper identifies that less than 40% of evaluated ICU centers worldwide have 24-hour pharmacist coverage (37.1% in lower-income vs 39.2% in higher-income centers), but does not establish what specific staffing models or coverage patterns optimize value-based medication management outcomes. The relationship between critical care pharmacist availability levels and patient safety or cost-effectiveness outcomes requires empirical validation.

    Value-Based Medicine · 2016 · DOI

  • The optimal threshold cost for quality-adjusted life years in cost-utility analyses varies depending on perspective (societal, payer, patient, surrogate), but the paper does not specify standardized threshold-setting methodology for ICU decision-making across these different perspectives. Research is needed to establish perspective-specific cost-effectiveness thresholds appropriate for critical care interventions.

    Value-Based Medicine · 2016 · DOI

  • There are no reliable national or international estimates of the costs associated with medication errors and adverse drug events in critically ill patients beyond the 2006 Institute of Medicine estimate of $3.5 billion for preventable adverse drug events in hospitalized patients. The total direct and indirect costs from suboptimal medication management in ICU settings needs quantification on an international basis to establish the economic burden of medication mismanagement.

    Value-Based Medicine · 2016 · DOI

  • Nurses may be key in ensuring the success of ADM therapy; however, little is known about the interventions nurses use or the consequent patient outcomes.

    The Nurse’s Role in Primary Care Antidepressant Medication Adherence · 2014 · DOI

  • Research suggests female physicians may place greater emphasis on preventive care than male physicians; however, little is known about whether physician gender and patient-physician gender concordance are associated with cardiovascular disease (CVD) risk factor levels and treatment.

    The Association of Patient-Physician Gender Concordance with Cardiovascular Disease Risk Factor Control and Treatment in Diabetes · 2009 · DOI

  • Future research should explore how psychosocial determinants of adherence change during hypertension management and how interven- tions targeting these factors might be personalized based on individual patient characteristics.

    Predicting Medication Adherence Using Psychosocial Factors: A Comprehensive Analysis through Regression and Path Models. · 2026 · DOI

  • Future research should focus on real-world studies, usability testing, cost-effectiveness, and long-term impact on medication adherence and patient safety.

    SMART MEDICATION INFORMATION SYSTEMS FOR PATIENT SAFETY AND MEDICATION ADHERENCE: A REVIEW · 2026 · DOI

  • Future research should examine the benefits of tailored interventions targeting specific mechanisms of adherence and potentially utilize self-reported reasons for nonadherence to guide and tailor the intervention approach.

    Associations between self-reported adherence to antihypertensive medications and potential mechanisms of behavior change in a general outpatient sample · 2026 · DOI

  • Data collection relied on voluntary patient reports and self-reported medication adherence, which may introduce recall bias and measurement error.

    The effect of clinical pharmacist-led services with one-year follow-up in patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus: a randomized controlled trial · 2026 · DOI

  • The distinction between intentional and erratic non-adherence is important since it requires different actions; however, this issue is rarely addressed in studies.

    Intentional non-adherence to medications in the elderly – results from a pilot study (Warsaw, Poland) · 2022 · DOI

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65 open questions have been extracted from the limitations and future-work passages of 544 Medication Adherence and Compliance papers in our library. Each one below links back to the study that raised it, so you can read the original claim in context.

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