[35] The completion of TABS involves the patient answering two sets of four questions using a five-point Likert scale. Answers from the first set give an adherence behaviour score (ABS) and answers from the second set give a non-adherence behaviour score (NABS). ABS of less than 19 out of 20 denote a lack of adherence behaviour whereas NABS of more than eight out of 20 can be defined as non-adherence behaviour.[35] Low scores for ABS are

suggestive of intentional non-adherence whereas low scores for question 5 (NABS) suggest unintentional non-adherence. It should be noted that although TABS comprises ABS and NABS, cumulative totals of the scores are unable to be given due to the inverse relationship between the scoring for ABS and NABS. Descriptive statistics were used to characterise the sample. A semi-structured check details interview was selected as the most appropriate methodology to explore patients’ ideas, concerns and expectations about adherence to medication. Interviews were conducted by the corresponding author over a 7-week period from May 2010. The topic guide for semi-structured interviews selleck screening library was adapted from another study of medication adherence in patients with chronic illness.[22] This was reviewed for appropriateness

by the team prior to use. All interviews were digitally recorded before being transcribed by cardiology secretarial staff. Once the interviews were transcribed the accuracy of the transcriptions was scrutinised by the corresponding author. Patient confidentiality was maintained by omitting all names and identifiers, and patient approval for the use of direct quotations was obtained. Once the qualitative data had been transcribed CHIR99021 the transcripts were loaded into computer-assisted qualitative data analysis software (Atlas.ti version 6.0.1; Atlas.ti GmbH, Berlin, Germany) which expedited analysis and enhanced ‘closeness’ with the data. A thematic framework was developed to code the transcripts. The original coding framework was agreed upon by GFR and SJL. GFR completed the coding

and SJL verified the accuracy of each applied code on all transcripts. Initially there was a process of familiarisation by listening/re-listening to the recorded interviews while reading/re-reading the transcripts, which allowed immersion in the data. A process of ‘coding’ was applied to the transcripts and these codes allowed for themes to be identified. The construction of the initial thematic framework was guided by the research aims and objectives and questions introduced to participants from the topic guides. However, the framework analysis could also be used to identify emergent themes expressed during the interviews, offering a unique flexibility to realise themes from outwith the topic guide. Contextual meaning for each quote and code were then indexed before being displayed in a process called charting.