Study designs of evaluations included in the review
Randomised controlled trials (RCTs) of both parallel and crossover design were eligible for inclusion. Follow-up had to be a minimum of 3 months, and loss to follow-up had to be less than 20%.
Specific interventions included in the review
Studies comparing multi-compartment devices with standard packaging were eligible for inclusion. Studies that investigated the effectiveness of compliance devices in combination with additional interventions were excluded.
Participants included in the review
Studies of community-based adult populations were eligible for inclusion. The participants had to be receiving at least one medication daily for an ongoing condition, and to have had problems with compliance identified. The included studies recruited patients with either hypertension or type 2 diabetes.
Outcomes assessed in the review
Studies had to report pill counts, biological assays or clinical response to be eligible. The outcomes reported included changes in diastolic blood-pressure (DBP) and glycated haemoglobin (HbA1c).
How were decisions on the relevance of primary studies made?
The author did not state how the papers were selected for the review, or how many reviewers performed the selection.