Opportunities for cystic fibrosis care teams to support treatment adherence

BackgroundThe purpose of this study was to identify the extent to which pediatric and adult cystic fibrosis (CF) care teams implement best practices in adherence assessment and counseling.MethodsAll US CF Foundation accredited programs were invited to participate in a web-based survey; 80% (92/115) of pediatric and 40% (38/95) of adult centers participated. Health care providers reported on current approaches and barriers to implementing adherence promotion practices.Results64% discussed adherence at every clinic visit while only 8% used an objective assessment of adherence. Most centers reported frequent use of strategies to increase knowledge; behavioral and support strategies were used less regularly. Several barriers to adherence promotion were reported.ConclusionsMany opportunities exist for care teams to improve consistency in adherence practices and integrate a greater repertoire of effective counseling strategies into clinic visits. Adherence promotion practices should be considered for quality improvement (QI) projects.