Effect of an Educational Nursing Program on Patients’ Adherence to Drugs, Nicotine Dependency and Degree of Asthma Control among Asthmatic Patients

Abstract

Background: To effectively control chronic diseases such as asthma, it is important to provide patients with education and skills. Aim of the study: To evaluate the effect of an educational nursing program on patients' adherence to drugs, nicotine dependency and degree of asthma control among asthmatic patients. Patients and Methods: A quazi experimental (pre/ post-test) research design, the study was conducted in Chest diseases department and its outpatient clinic at Assiut university hospital, a purposive sample of sixty adult male asthmatic patients, their age ranged from 18 – 65 years were selected. Unconscious or comatose patients and patients with co-morbid diseases as COPD or sleep apnea were excluded from the study. Five tools were used, Tool I: patients interview questionnaire sheet that included, demographic patient variables, medical assessment, and patient’s knowledge about asthma, Tool II: Fagerstrom Tolerance Questionnaire, Tool III: Morisky Medication Adherence Scale, Tool IV: Asthma Control Test (ACT) for people 12 yrs and older, and Tool V: Educational Nursing program. Results: Ther were statistically significant differences pre & post the educational nursing program regarding Patients’ knowledge about asthma, adherence to medications and degree of asthma control with (p < 0.001), (p < 0.001) and (p < 0.01) respectively. Also, there was a decrease in the number of patients regarding nicotine dependency post-implementation of the educational nursing program than before but unfortunately not reached a statistically significant difference. Conclusions: An improvement in patients’ adherence to drugs, and their control over asthma disease were observed among the patients after applying the educational nursing program. Recommendation: Asthmatic patients should be provided by continuous education and nursing instructions to help them control their chronic disease.