The aim of this research is to use the GBTM to identify different types of MA and how these relate to patient characteristics, health outcomes and healthcare resource use, for Australians with depression, cardiovascular disease, or osteoporosis. Specific objectives include:
(1) Determining whether patients prescribed medications have different adherence types, the extent of heterogeneity in adherence types, and how they correlate with the traditional PDC measure of adherence, using PBS and COD URF data.
(2) Developing a rich understanding of patient characteristics that impact MA patterns, to help clinicians and government better target patients more at risk of developing suboptimal adherence patterns. Patient characteristics will be identified from 45 and Up Study (e.g. alcohol consumption), PBS (e.g. number of different medicines used by patient), and MBS (e.g. whether the patient returns to the same primary care provider – i.e. continuity of care).
(3) Determining whether adherence patterns impact health outcomes and healthcare resource use, and the extent to which changing adherence patterns could save valuable healthcare resources, using APDC, EDDC, MHAMB, COD URF and healthcare spending information from PBS and MBS.
Evaluating potential benefits of using the GBTM in measuring MA compared to PDC by comparing the outcomes of the two analyses both quantitatively (e.g. goodness of fit) and qualitatively (e.g. practicality).