Table 3. Characteristics of studies included in the review (by author) for studies with clinical outcomes which also report adherence.
| Study, (Country), Source(s) of drugs | Drug regimen(s)1 | Approach(es) to assessing adherence2 | Approach(es) to assessing adherence2 | Day of follow-up visit (Day 1 = drug dispensed) | Level of adherence with intervention (N = denominator) |
| Achan et al. 2009 [56], (Uganda), Health facility | AL (3 days) & quinine (7 days) | Self-report, pill count | Unique approach = percentage of pills taken | Day 4 | AL - 94.5% (N = 85); Quinine - 85.4% (N = 75) |
| Bell et al. 2009 [57], (Malawi), Health facility | AL (3 days) & chloroproguanil-dapsone (CPD, 3 days) | Self-report, electronic pill boxes, laboratory assays3 | Completed treatment & Unique approach = electronic pill bottle opened once on Day 1 & two times each on Days 2 & 3 | Day 8 | Completed treatment (AL) - 100% (N = 185); Completed treatment (CPD) - 99.2% (N = 371); Unique approach (AL) - 92% (N = 87); Unique approach (CPD) - 90.6% (N = 181) |
| Congpuong et al. 2010 [63], (Thailand), Health facilities | Artesunate + mefloquine + primaquine (3 days) | Self-report, drug assays | Completed treatment & Biological assay | Day 4 | Completed treatment - 100% (N = 240); Biological assay (mefloquine marker) - 96.3% (N = 215); Biological assay (quinine marker) - 98.5% (N = 214) |
| Duarte et al. 2003 [67], (Brazil), Health facilities | Quinine + doxycycline (7 days) & primaquine + chloroquine (14 days) | Self-report | Completed treatment | Up to 4 months | 83.8% (N = 488) |
| Dunyo et al. 2010 [58], (The Gambia), Health facilities | AL (3 days) & chloroproguanil-dapsone (CPD, 3 days) | Self-report (pill count for some3) | Completed treatment | Day 4 | AL - 67% (N = 600); CPD - 94% (N = 599) |
| Faucher et al. 2009 [60], (Benin), Health facility | AL (3 days) & artesunate-amodiaquine (ASAQ) (3 days) | Self-report, pill count | Verified completed treatment | Day 4 | AL - 83% (N = 96); ASAQ - 91% (N = 96) |
| Fungladda et al. 1998 [59], (Thailand), Health facility | Artesunate (4 days) & quinine + tetracycline (7 days) | Self-report, pill count | Verified completed treatment | Day 5 or Day 8 | Artesunate - 98.4% (N = 61); Quinine + tetracycline - 71.7% (N = 53) |
| Na-Bangchang et al. 1997 [64], (Thailand), Health facilities | Artemether + mefloquine (2 days) | Laboratory assays | Biological assay | Day 3 | 86.8% (N = 106) |
| Rahman et al. 2008 [61], (Bangladesh), Health facility | AL (3 days) | Self-report, pill count, lumefantrine assay3 | Verified timely completion | Day 4 | 93% (N = 160) |
| Souares et al. 2008 [65], (Senegal), Health facilities | SP + amodiaquine (3 days) | Self-report, laboratory assays3 | Timely completion & Unique approach = at least 80% of the prescribed dose of each of the two drugs was taken | Day 4 | Timely completion - 37.7% (N = 289); Unique approach - 64.7% (N = 289) |
| Takeuchi et al. 2010 [62], (Thailand), Health facility | Chloroquine + primaquine (14 days) | Self-report | Completed treatment | Day 8 & Day 15 | 85% (N = 101) |
| Yepez et al. 2000 [66], (Ecuador), Health facilities | Chloroquine + primaquine (3 days for Pf & 7 days for Pv) | Self-report | Timely completion | Day 4 or Day 8 | Pf - 79.2% (N = 120); Pv - 58.5% (N = 129); Overall - 68.3% (N = 249) |
1 Duration of drug regimen in days not given for household surveys;
2 See Table 4 for definitions;
3 Not incorporated into adherence definition