Using SystemCHANGE™ to Enhance Medication Adherence in Older Adult Stroke Survivors

During the intervention phase, the PI will visit both groups of participants at home at baseline and telephone them three times (day 3 ±2 days and months 1 and 2). Refer to tables 1 and 2 for intervention details. Treatment participants will implement SystemCHANGE™ activities related to medication taking with the assistance of the PI while attention-control participants will receive patient education materials on stroke. Perceived health data will be collected during the intervention phase. A 1-month maintenance phase follows the intervention phase. Electronic medication monitoring continues, but no intervention is delivered to either group.

An experienced stroke nurse will deliver the attention control intervention. Table 3.2 shows the 2-month attention-control intervention. The stroke materials were developed by the Saint Luke's Marion Bloch Neuroscience Institute and are given to every stroke patient prior to dismissal. The PI will call participants at day 3 ±2 days, and months 1 and 2 to review chapter(s) from the book and answer questions about it. Interval, frequency, and setting are all exactly the same for the intervention and control groups. If the control participant raises questions about medications or medication-taking, PI will refer them to their Neurologist.