Self-reported medication adherence tools in cardiovascular disease: protocol for a systematic review of measurement properties

Objective: The aim of this review is to identify high-quality, self-reported medication adherence tools for adults with cardiovascular disease to improve health outcomes.<br/>Introduction: Medication adherence is a complex concept affected by multiple factors and positively associated with clinical outcomes. Poor adherence to cardiovascular medications is a hindrance to the effective management of cardiovascular disease, leading to poor disease prognosis or increased risk of death. Valid and reliable measurement is crucial to identify patients with poor adherence, preferably before an adverse outcome occurs.<br/>Inclusion criteria: This review will consider studies that include adults, aged 18 years and over, with a diagnosis of cardiovascular disease. The construct of medication adherence has three phases: initiation, implementation and discontinuation. Included tools need to measure at least one of these phases. The review will consider studies of any study design that report on the measurement properties of self-reported medication adherence tools among adults with cardiovascular disease.<br/>Methods: The following databases will be searched from inception to present: PubMed, MEDLINE, CINAHL, ProQuest Health and Medicine, Cochrane Library, PsycINFO, Scopus, Embase and Web of Science. Articles published in any language will be included, with no date limit. Data extraction will be performed by one reviewer and cross-checked by another reviewer. Data from the included studies will be synthesized using tables for the quality of methods, and measurement property results.