A systematic review of interventions to enhance medication adherence in children and adolescents with chronic illness.

Summary: Getting children and teenagers to take their medication for chronic illnesses is a constant struggle for many parents and doctors. A new review of 17 medical studies looked at the best ways to solve this problem. The researchers found that simply teaching kids about their medicine (education) usually isn't enough to make them take it regularly. Instead, "behavioral" strategies—such as setting up reward systems, using reminders, or changing daily routines—worked much better. The most promising approach appears to be combining education with these behavioral tools.