Analyzing Annals: Burden of Changes in Pill Appearance
Generic drugs produced by different manufacturers may vary in shape and color. This study found that variation in pill color and shape is associated with lower adherence rates of essential drugs in patients after myocardial infarction.
Read the article and watch a short video on health literacy and consider the following:
- What does "health literacy" mean? How do you assess whether your patients understand what has been explained regarding their illness and treatment?
- How do you know that your patients can read and understand written instructions?
- Practice the "teach back" method in which the patient explains to you what you just explained. Do this with all of your patients in your next outpatient session. What did you discover? How could you improve patient adherence to medication regimens?
- Review which therapies have been shown to improve outcomes following myocardial infarction. Use the "therapy" section of Acute Coronary Syndromes in ACP Smart Medicine.