BACKGROUND Optimal adherence to antiretroviral therapy is critical to prevent HIV drug resistance (HIVDR) epidemic. The objective of the study was to investigate the best performing adherence assessment method for predicting virological failure in resource-limited settings (RLS). METHOD This study was a single-centre prospective cohort, enrolling 220 HIV-infected adult patients attending an H...

CONTEXT Pregnancies among contraceptive users account for nearly half of all unintended pregnancies and are almost entirely due to inconsistent or incorrect contraceptive use. Understanding what factors contribute to inconsistent contraceptive behavior can help efforts to reduce unintended pregnancy. METHODS In 2004, a nationally representative sample of women aged 18-44 using reversible cont...

• Objective: To determine whether interventions such as medication cards, pillboxes, and mailings of mo-­ tivational messages would impact antiretroviral adherence in an inner city HIV clinic. Factors influ-­ encing adherence were also assessed. • Methods: Patients were randomized to an adher-­ ence intervention protocol or to standard of care. Utilizing an adherence measurement tool, Medicatio...

Personal digital assistants (PDAs) can be used persuasively to change attitudes regarding medication taking, thereby facilitating adherence for older adults. A pillbox that integrates onto the body of the PDA was created as a place to store mid-day pills. Results from a lab and field experiment on older adults’ perceptions and use of PDAs for medication minding are reported. In both the lab and...

A high-performance liquid chromatography coupled with photo diode array detection method is developed for simultaneous determination of seven active components in Qibaomeiran pill, including rutin, 2,3,5,4'-tetrahydroxystilbene-2-O-beta-D-glycoside, ferulic acid, psoralen, isopsoralen, emodin, and physcion. The analysis is performed on a C(18) column using a mobile phase composed of A (0.1% ace...

INTRODUCTION Emergency contraceptive pills (ECPs) were developed and marketed with the emergency aspect firmly in mind, but research and anecdotal evidence indicate that some women use them as a form of regular contraception, spurring efforts in the reproductive health community to explore the development of a coitally-dependent oral contraceptive pill. METHODS We asked women of reproductive ...

OBJECTIVES The primary objective of this pilot study was to determine if the Medication Event Monitoring System (MEMS) is capable of providing meaningful estimates of compliance within the indigenous Qatari population. The secondary objective was to highlight any specific problems which might be associated with the use of MEMS within this population. METHOD A sample of adult diabetic Qatari p...

PURPOSE A lower daily pill burden may improve adherence to antiretroviral treatment (ART) and clinical outcomes in patients with human immunodeficiency virus (HIV). This study assessed differences in adherence using the number of pills taken per day, and evaluated how adherence correlated with hospitalization. METHODOLOGY Commercially insured patients in the LifeLink database with an HIV diag...

Whether supplemental Ca has similar effects to dietary Ca on vascular and bone markers is unknown. The present trial investigated the feasibility of applying dietary and supplemental interventions in a randomised-controlled trial (RCT) aiming to estimate the effect of supplemental Ca as compared with dietary Ca on vascular and bone markers in postmenopausal women. In total, thirteen participant...

CONTEXT Discontinuation of oral contraceptives often puts women at risk for unintended pregnancies. Understanding why a woman discontinued pill use can provide insight into her risk of discontinuation if she restarts use. METHODS Women younger than 25 obtaining oral contraceptives at three university health centers in 2003-2005 were recruited to participate in a randomized trial; 628 former u...