Multidisciplinary Team-Based Interventions to Improve Medication Adherence in Adults with Chronic Diseases: A Systematic Review.

Abstract

Background: Medication non-adherence remains a major challenge in the management of chronic diseases and is associated with inadequate disease control, preventable complications, increased healthcare utilization, and poorer clinical outcomes. Because adherence is influenced by clinical, behavioral, socioeconomic, treatment-related, and healthcare-system factors, multidisciplinary team (MDT)-based interventions may provide a more comprehensive approach than interventions delivered by a single healthcare professional.

Objective: This systematic review aimed to synthesize the available evidence on the effectiveness of multidisciplinary team-based interventions in improving medication adherence among adults with chronic diseases and to examine the professional composition, intervention components, and associated clinical outcomes of these approaches.

Methods: The review was designed and reported in accordance with the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses (PRISMA 2020) framework. Relevant studies involving adults aged ≥18 years with chronic diseases were identified through searches of major electronic databases. Eligible interventions involved coordinated care delivered by at least two healthcare professional disciplines and included medication adherence as an outcome. Study characteristics, MDT composition, intervention components, adherence measures, follow-up periods, and clinical outcomes were extracted and synthesized.

Results: The reviewed evidence indicated that MDT-based interventions were generally associated with improvements in medication adherence, particularly when multiple strategies were combined. Pharmacists, physicians, and nurses were the most frequently represented professionals, with dietitians and other allied healthcare professionals contributing in more comprehensive models. Effective interventions commonly incorporated medication review and optimization, individualized education, adherence counseling, self-management support, monitoring, and structured follow-up. Improvements were also observed in selected clinical and patient-reported outcomes, including glycemic control, disease self-management, and quality of life. However, substantial heterogeneity was evident in chronic diseases, team composition, intervention design, adherence measurement, and follow-up duration.....