Open AccessImproving medication compliance for juvenile rheumatoid arthritis and its effect on clinical outcome: A single‐subject analysis
Author(s) -
Rapoff Michael A.,
Purviance Mark R.,
Lindsley Carol B.
Publication year - 1988
Publication title -
arthritis & rheumatism
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
eISSN - 1529-0131
pISSN - 0004-3591
DOI - 10.1002/art.1790010105
Subject(s) - compliance (psychology) , medicine , juvenile rheumatoid arthritis , physical therapy , regimen , rheumatoid arthritis , outcome (game theory) , arthritis , psychology , social psychology , mathematics , mathematical economics
Compliance with regimens for chronic childhood diseases such as juvenile rheumatoid arthritis (JRA) is often less than optimal. This study examined the effectiveness of strategies designed to improve the medication compliance of a 14‐year‐old patient with JRA. A withdrawal (single‐subject) design with repeated measures of compliance and clinical outcome was used to evaluate the compliance‐improvement strategies. Positive reinforcement behavioral strategies were most effective in improving compliance when compared with baseline and a simplified regimen condition. Compliance changes were maintained during a nine‐month follow‐up period. Although clinical outcome results were not as straight forward, there seemed to be a trend toward improvement in symptoms, which was associated with higher compliance levels.