Table 2

Overview of intervention studies, including factors targeted, time frames for delivery and outcomes

Author, year, country, sample size, and treatment type	Intervention description (type, setting, delivery)	Factors targeted	Intervention time point(s) by channel/technique						Significant outcomes on adherence and effect size
Author, year, country, sample size, and treatment type	Intervention description (type, setting, delivery)	Factors targeted	Channel	Predischarge	0–1 month	1–3 months	3–6 months	6–12 months	Significant outcomes on adherence and effect size
Gujral, 2014, Australia n=200 (100 per group) Lipid-lowering agents ACE-I/ARB or β-blocker	Community pharmacy counselling on treatment beliefs in addition to usual care from the community pharmacist (monthly adherence checks and practical treatment discussion)	▸ Treatment knowledge ▸ Treatment necessity ▸ Treatment concerns	Face-to-face community pharmacy adherence check and practical treatment discussion		X	X	X	X	No statistically significant outcomes on adherence as measured by prescription refill (MPR≥80%), or self-reported MARS at 6 and 12 months
			Face-to-face community pharmacy counselling based on individual treatment beliefs uncovered by researchers			X	X
			Researcher interviews with patients to uncover individual treatment			X	X	X
Khonsari, 2015, Malaysia n=62 (31 per group) Cardiac medications ‘in general’	Automated text message reminders for 8 weeks in addition to usual care (cardiac rehabilitation and 6–8-week follow-up with cardiologist)	Forgetting	Daily SMS reminders		X	X			At 8 weeks postdischarge, 65% of participants in the intervention group had high self-reported adherence (MMAS-8=8) compared with 13% in the usual-care group (p<0.001)
			Prescription refill SMS reminders		X
			Fortnightly telephone calls from research team to check receipt of SMS, check for emergency admissions and appointment attendance		X	X
Muñiz, 2010, Spain n=1757 (867 intervention 890 control) Aspirin Clopidogrel β-blockers ACE-inhibitors ARA II Statins	Physician-led interviews with supporting educational materials in addition to usual discharge information	▸ Patient and healthcare professional relationship ▸ Treatment knowledge ▸ Treatment necessity ▸ Treatment concerns ▸ Illness coherence	30-to-40 min hospital physician interview with patient and next of kin	X		X			No statistically significant outcomes on adherence as measured by self-reported persistence with treatment at 6 months.
			Signed agreement between physician and patient on therapeutic aims	X
			Written educational materials (treatment, illness, secondary prevention)	X		X
			Inbound telephone support	X	X	X
Palacio, 2015, USA n=422 (213 intervention 209 control) Antiplatelet therapy	Phone-based motivational interviewing (MINT) vs educational video	▸ Self-efficacy ▸ Treatment knowledge ▸ Treatment necessity ▸ Treatment concerns ▸ Illness control ▸ Illness coherence	60 min quarterly motivational interviewing-based call conducted by nurse with patient		X	X	X	X	At 12 months postprocedure, 64% of patients in the MINT group had high adherence (MPR≥80) compared with 50% in video group (p≤0.001) Mean MPR in MINT group was 0.77 compared with 0.70 in video group (p≤0.005)
			Treatment education video		X
Rinfret, 2013, Canada n=300 (150 per group) Clopidogrel	Nurse telephone adherence follow-up in addition to usual care	▸ Treatment knowledge ▸ Treatment necessity ▸ Illness coherence	5–10 min nurse calls to the patient to check adherence and reinforce need for treatment		X	X	X	X	12-month persistence was 87.2% in the intervention group compared with 43.1% in the usual care group (p=<0.001) as measured by pharmacy prescription refill data. 12-month median adherence (number of pills/365 days) was 99.3% in the intervention group compared with 91.5% in the usual care group (p≤0.001) as measured by pharmacy prescription refill data.
Uysal, 2015, Turkey n=200 (100 per group) Aspirin Plavix ACE inhibitors β-blockers Calcium channel blockers Diuretics Statins	Individual education and counselling and supporting educational materials in addition to usual care	▸ Treatment knowledge ▸ Illness coherence ▸ Emotional well-being	60 min face-to-face education and counselling session	X					At 3 months postdischarge, intervention group had higher mean adherence (MMAS=1.4) compared with control group (MMAS=3.6) (p≤0.005).
			5–10 min telephone education and counselling session		X	X

MARS, Medication Adherence Report Scale; MMAS, Morisky Medication Adherence Scale; MPR, medication possession ration.