Table 1 Patients’ and clinicians’ agreement with ethical aspects of the Money for Medication intervention to improve medication adherence
Ethical concern | Statement | Patients (N = 133) | Clinicians (N = 97) |
|---|---|---|---|
‘Patients will feel dependent if they receive money for their depots’ | 33% (44) | 31% (30) | |
Autonomy | ‘If they receive money for their depot medication, patients will feel forced to accept their depots’ | 36% (47) | 27% (26) |
‘It is not permissible to buy patients by giving them money to take their medication’ | 21% (27) | 16% (15) | |
Beneficence | ‘To give money for depots is good’ ‘Giving money for depots emphasizes the things that are going well’ ‘Money could just be the right push to accept your depot’ ‘Money for depots improves patients’ motivation to use depot medication’ ‘Money for depots will work in daily practice’ ‘Money for depots helps to get into a positive flow’ ‘Patients will accept their depots more often when they receive money’ ‘Money for depots is beneficial for patients wellbeing’ ‘If patients receive money for their depot they will accept it more often’ | 68% (91) 51% (66) 72% (96) 72% (95) 67% (89) 62% (81) 79% (103) 58% (76) 75% (98) | 47% (46) 33% (32) 88% (85) 82% (80) 53% (51) 61% (59) 72% (70) 42% (41) 79% (77) |
‘If someone receives money for his depot, he won’t gain insight into his problems’ | 23% (30) | 35% (34) | |
‘Money for depots is harmful to the therapeutic relationship’ | 16% (21) | 16% (16) | |
Non-maleficence | ‘If patients no longer receive money for their depots they will stop to accept their depots’ ‘Money for depots will provoke patients to follow their treatment less for themselves but more for the money’ | 36% (47) 38% (49) | 37% (45) 71% (69) |
Justice | ‘Jealousy will arise if some patients receive money for their depots and others do not’ | 62% (82) | 71% (69) |
Other | ‘Giving money for depots is ethically acceptable’ | 49% (64) | 34% (33) |
‘It is good to reward good behavior with money’ | 76% (99) | 38% (37) |