Medication adherence and treatment satisfaction in some Egyptian patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease and bronchial asthma

Abstract

BackgroundThe degree of effectiveness in the management of asthma and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) entails proper treatment adherence and satisfaction. In this study, medication adherence and treatment satisfaction were assessed among some Egyptian patients with asthma and COPD.Materials and methodsConsecutive asthma and COPD patients were recruited from the outpatient clinic or inpatients admitted to the Chest Department at Ain Shams University Hospital, Abbassia, and Qena Chest Hospitals. Self-reported medication adherence and treatment satisfaction were tested using the Arabic versions of the eight-item Morisky Medication Adherence Scale and Treatment Satisfaction Questionnaire for Medication (TSQM 1.4), respectively.ResultsTotally, 474 asthmatic patients (mean: 34.41 years, 61.2% male and 38.8% female) and 509 COPD patients (mean: 60.39 years, 91.7% male and 8.3% female) were included. According to eight-item Morisky Medication Adherence Scale, mean adherence was 4.55±2.01 and 3.88 ±1.63 in asthma and COPD, respectively, with no significant difference. In asthma and COPD, low adherence was found in 71.7 and 79.4%, medium adherence in 19.8 and 13.6%, and high adherence in 8.4 and 7.1%, respectively. There was a significant difference in all domains of TSQM between asthma and COPD, with more effectiveness, convenience, and global satisfaction but less side effects among asthma patients compared with COPD. There was a significant correlation in asthmatic patients between adherence and all domains of TSQM, whereas in COPD only side effects and convenience correlated significantly with adherence. In COPD, adherence was better in male smokers, with low smoking index, living in urban areas, having severe small airway obstruction, and treated by pulmonologists. In asthma, adherence was mainly affected by treatment satisfaction.ConclusionMost of the asthma and COPD patients were nonadherent to their medications. Asthma patients were more satisfied with treatment compared with COPD patients.