Date of Conferral

4-28-2026

Degree

Doctor of Healthcare Administration (D.H.A.)

School

Health Sciences

Advisor

Cheryl Anderson

Abstract

Medication non-adherence is a pervasive issue that drives up administrative costs for integrated primary care clinics. Total administrative costs for medication non-adherence account for one-quarter of U.S. healthcare expenditures. The purpose of this integrative review was to identify cost-reduction strategies that integrated primary care clinic administrators can implement to offset costs associated with medication nonadherence. The theoretical framework for this integrative review was Bertalanffy’s general systems theory. The review question was to identify strategies that primary care clinics could implement to reduce administrative costs associated with patient medication nonadherence. A comprehensive literature search yielded 1,892 potential articles. A quality analysis using the Johns Hopkins Nursing Evidence-Based Practice Model was conducted on 29 sources. After a thematic analysis, four themes and two subthemes were identified. The themes included implementing adherence technology, delivering targeted interventions, strengthening care team coordination, and implementing system-level strategies. Subthemes included Electronic Health Record [RG1.1]adoption and enhanced patient relationships. Final recommendations are to implement an integrated, technology-enabled medication adherence program that combines EHR monitoring and predictive risk identification; deliver targeted, patient-specific adherence interventions that address individual barriers such as cost, access, and understanding of medications; and establish a coordinated, system-level adherence strategy that integrates interdisciplinary care teams, technology, and continuous performance evaluation. Positive social change will result from the implementation of these evidence-based strategies that improve medication nonadherence and yield cost savings for healthier patients

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