EVALUATION OF FACTORS AFFECTING COMPLIANCE WITH DISEASE-MODIFYING TREATMENTS IN MULTIPLE SCLEROSIS PATIENTS

Abstract

Multiple sclerosis is an acquired disabling neurological disease that affects approximately 2.3 million people worldwide, most commonly in young adults. Since MS is a chronic disease, patients need to use long-term treatment. Patients' compliance with treatment is an issue that should be taken into consideration as a priority since it affects the course of the disease and long-term prognosis. Many factors affect treatment compliance. Identifying and correcting adverse factors affects treatment efficacy, safety, and disease outcomes. In this study, we aimed to evaluate the factors affecting the compliance of patients followed in an MS clinic to disease-modifying treatments. 209 MS patients were included in the study, and their age, gender, disease durations, education level, income, medication usage, and the administered way were recorded. The Morisky Medication Adherence Scale-8 (MMAS-8) was applied to the patients with MS. The mean MMAS-8 score was 6.05±1.94. Treatment compliance was 31% low (n=66), 36.4% moderate (n=76), and 32.1% high (n=67). No difference was detected in terms of treatment compliance according to age, gender, disease duration, income level, disease-modifying treatments, and the type and administration way of these treatments (p= 0.074, 0.070, 0.600, 0.976, 0.940, 0.356, 0.249, 0.053, 0.701, respectively). 
 In our study, age, education level, disease duration, treatment option, or route of administration did not affect compliance with disease-modifying treatment in MS patients. Our study results indicate that different factors affecting medication adherence in MS patients need to be explained.