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Factors influencing medication adherence among U.S. Medicare beneficiaries with Alzheimer’s disease and related dementia (ADRD)
Giovanna Pilonieta, Maria Pisu, Roy C. Martin, Liang Shan, Richard Kennedy, Gabriela R. Oates, Young‐Il Kim, David Geldmacher. Alzheimer s & Dementia, 2021-12-01
Topic: Risk, prevention and care in population studies
Result We identified 54,194 Medicare Beneficiaries. Bivariate analyses revealed significant differences between DS and non‐DS in all individual and contextual characteristics except sex and comorbidities. Specialists' availability was not significantly associated with adherence to ADRD medication: Neurologists RR: 1.0080, CI (0.9789‐1.0380) and Psychiatrists RR: 1.0066 CI (0.9948‐1.0186). Age, dual eligibility, and living in non‐large metropolitan areas were associated with a higher probability of adherence. Race, comorbidities, having ≥1 visit with specialists, and context factors such as living in deprived and lower education areas were associated with a lower probability of adherence. Conclusion Adherence to ADRD medications was not associated with specialist availability but was related to individual and socioeconomic context factors in community‐dwelling older individuals with ADRD.
Key findings
- Result We identified 54,194 Medicare Beneficiaries.
- Bivariate analyses revealed significant differences between DS and non‐DS in all individual and contextual characteristics except sex and comorbidities.
- Specialists' availability was not significantly associated with adherence to ADRD medication: Neurologists RR: 1.0080, CI (0.9789‐1.0380) and Psychiatrists RR: 1.0066 CI (0.9948‐1.0186).
- Age, dual eligibility, and living in non‐large metropolitan areas were associated with a higher probability of adherence.
- Race, comorbidities, having ≥1 visit with specialists, and context factors such as living in deprived and lower education areas were associated with a lower probability of adherence.
Why it matters
Among 54,194 Medicare beneficiaries with ADRD, adherence to ADRD medications was not significantly associated with specialist availability but was related to individual and socioeconomic context factors. The study is about factors influencing medication adherence, not about whether any treatment cures or prevents Alzheimer's disease.
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Study details
- Effect size81.44%; 42.36%; RR: 1.0080
- Evidence strengthLow
How this study scored 33/100
Published in a peer-reviewed journal. Scored zero for study design, sample size, studied in people and randomised / blinded because the record does not state it.
| Component | Points | Why |
|---|---|---|
| Journal tier | 7 / 10 | Tier 3 — peer-reviewed journal (Alzheimer s & Dementia) |
| Journal's citation record | 2 / 4 | Alzheimer s & Dementia: journal h-index 228 (OpenAlex, 2026-10-29) |
| Study design | 0 / 12 | No study design recorded — scores zero, not guessed (not stated in the record — scored 0) |
| Strength of evidence | 1 / 5 | Rated “low” in our summary |
| Peer-review validation | 10 / 10 | Peer-reviewed. Published as an article in a named peer-reviewed journal. |
| How recent | 3 / 5 | 2021 — within 6 year(s) of the newest study here |
| Sample size | 0 / 4 | Participant count not stated — scores zero (not stated in the record — scored 0) |
| Effect reported | 3 / 3 | Effect reported with a statistic (interval, p-value, ratio or similar) |
| Studied in people | 0 / 3 | Not stated whether this was studied in people — scores zero (not stated in the record — scored 0) |
| Randomised / blinded | 0 / 2 | No randomisation or blinding stated — scores zero (not stated in the record — scored 0) |
| Times cited | 1 / 7 | Cited 1 times (OpenAlex, 2026-10-10) |
| Citations per year | 0 / 5 | 0.1 citations a year over 7 year(s) since 2021 |
| Impact for its field and year | 0 / 6 | Cited 0.0× the average for papers of its field and year (OpenAlex FWCI) |
| Cited by studies here | 1 / 6 | Cited by 1 other studies in this library |
| Still being cited | 0 / 4 | Cited 1 times in 2024–2026 (2026 still in progress; OpenAlex) |
| Senior author's track record | 3 / 4 | Last-listed author David Geldmacher: h-index 55 (OpenAlex, whole career) |
| Institution's track record | 1 / 3 | University of Alabama at Birmingham: institution h-index 1,118 (OpenAlex) |
| Multi-centre collaboration | 0 / 3 | OpenAlex lists 1 institution(s) in 1 country — scores zero (affiliation lists can be incomplete) |
| Indexed in PubMed | 1 / 2 | Not in PubMed, but has a DOI |
| Free to read | 0 / 2 | Behind a paywall — scores zero |
| Total | 33 / 100 | — |
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Read the original
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Cite this study APA, Vancouver, BibTeX · download .bib or .ris
Built from the record alzhub holds for this paper, not looked up. Volume, issue and page numbers are not held in the record. The record names 8 authors; APA and Vancouver show the first six, BibTeX and the downloads carry all of them. Check the citation against the original before you use it.
APA 7th
Pilonieta, G., Pisu, M., Martin, R. C., Shan, L., Kennedy, R., Oates, G. R., et al. (2021). Factors influencing medication adherence among U.S. Medicare beneficiaries with Alzheimer’s disease and related dementia (ADRD). Alzheimer s & Dementia. https://doi.org/10.1002/alz.054567
Vancouver
Pilonieta G, Pisu M, Martin RC, Shan L, Kennedy R, Oates GR, et al. Factors influencing medication adherence among U.S. Medicare beneficiaries with Alzheimer’s disease and related dementia (ADRD). Alzheimer s & Dementia. 2021. doi:10.1002/alz.054567.
BibTeX
@article{pilonieta2021-2052ffab,
author = {Pilonieta, Giovanna and Pisu, Maria and Martin, Roy C. and Shan, Liang and Kennedy, Richard and Oates, Gabriela R. and Kim, Young‐Il and Geldmacher, David},
title = {{Factors influencing medication adherence among U.S. Medicare beneficiaries with Alzheimer’s disease and related dementia (ADRD)}},
journal = {Alzheimer s \& Dementia},
year = {2021},
doi = {10.1002/alz.054567},
url = {https://doi.org/10.1002/alz.054567}
}
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