Ensuring medication safety has long been a concern due to ineffective disease management and suboptimal health outcomes. Unfortunately, a global issue of improper medication use has persisted over the past two decades across all age groups. Various interventions have been proposed to enhance medication adherence and appropriate use in chronic disease management. However, their impact on safe medication use has been partial success, partly due to overlooking essential factors in intervention programs.
Developing, implementing, and evaluation of interventions grounded in theory have shown promise in improving healthy behaviors and appropriate medication use. The application of theoretical constructs can inform tailored interventions for participants. Even if theory-based interventions do not always yield positive results, they contribute to comprehending what works and what does not—thereby providing valuable insights into the essential mechanisms of action.
A small percentage of published intervention studies have been guided by a theoretical framework to justify the intervention approach and explain its impact on safe medication use.
This research topic aims to assess the effectiveness of theory-based interventions in enhancing safe medication use for improved adherence and economic, clinical, or humanistic outcomes. It also seeks to explore the extent to which theoretical frameworks inform intervention design. By examining these aspects, the research aims to identify successful strategies and highlight areas where further investigation is needed. Additionally, the research will consider the role of organizational, environmental, and healthcare factors in reducing barriers to adherence, providing a comprehensive understanding of the multifaceted nature of medication safety.
We are interested in, but not limited to, the following areas of investigation which will be reviewed by international experts from multidisciplinary professions:
● An overview of evidence on theory-driven interventions to improve medication adherence.
● Applying multidisciplinary theories (e.g., communication, educational, economic, psychological, social) to design effective healthcare interventions for the proper use of medication in clinical practice.
● Implementing healthcare interventions to address modifiable factors promoting effective treatment or empowering health behaviors.
● Using a theory-driven approach to evaluate impacts of clinical interventions on safe medication use by assessing economic, clinical, or humanistic outcomes.
Keywords: medication safety, theory-based interventions, healthcare interventions, theoretical frameworks, chronic disease management
Important note: All contributions to this Research Topic must be within the scope of the section and journal to which they are submitted, as defined in their mission statements. Frontiers reserves the right to guide an out-of-scope manuscript to a more suitable section or journal at any stage of peer review.
