The role of family nurse practitioners : promoting oral medication adherence to maintenance treatment among adolescents with inflammatory bowel disease

The role of family nurse practitioners (FNPs) in promoting medication adherence in adolescents with inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) has not been established. This project provides intervention strategies that FNPs can use to promote oral medication adherence to maintenance treatment in adolescents with IBD. This is a critical need because non-adherence to maintenance therapy is the most significant factor associated with relapses of IBD and a serious health issue in adolescents with IBD. There are no current best practice guidelines in promoting adherence to maintenance medications in IBD patients. Findings from the literature review suggest that non-adherence to maintenance therapy is complex and multi-factorial. No single intervention strategy has been shown to be effective for all patients and conditions. However, individually tailored interventions that attend to behavioural, education and psychosocial factors appear promising. The bio-psychosocial model is used as a conceptual framework to examine the factors affecting medication adherence and to explore the intervention strategies for improving medication adherence. Findings of this project are limited by the paucity of research on medication adherence in adolescents with IBD. Implications and recommendations for family nurse practitioner practice, education and research are discussed.