Postgraduate Research Bursaries 2006-2007

Test of an intervention to enhance medication concordance in people with epilepsy

Ian Brown

University of Sheffield, studying for a doctorate in clinical psychology.

Many people with epilepsy find it difficult to take their medication as consistently as they would like to. Evidence shows that this can result in a greater number of seizures and hospital admissions.

Interventions aimed at increasing medication adherence have met with little success and simple, effective strategies are needed. This research aims to understand what factors limit medication adherence and to test out a novel intervention strategy: implementation intentions. Implementation intentions use “if-then” plans to link willingness to do a particular behaviour into an action so that the behaviour (in this case pill taking) becomes automatic.

This intervention has been shown to be effective with non-medication pills, and with people who have difficulties with memory. The study will take place in a regular hospital neurology clinic and use electronic pill monitors to check and compare medication adherence between those participants who receive the intervention and those who do not.