The effect of patient-centered education in adherence to the treatment regimen in patients with coronary artery disease

Abstract

This study aimed to determine the effect of patient-centered education on adherence to the treatment regimen in patients with coronary artery disease. It was a parallel randomized controlled study with a 1:1 allocation ratio. 104 patients who met the inclusion criteria were chosen through non-probability consecutive sampling and divided into intervention and control groups. For the intervention group, along with the usual education, two sessions of 45-60 minute patient-centered education were performed. The control group received only the usual education. The primary outcome was adherence to the treatment regimen which was measured before and after the intervention. The findings indicated that there was a statistically significant difference between the mean scores of adherence to the treatment regimen in three dimensions of diet, physical activity, and medication at the beginning and end of the research in intervention and control groups. Patient-centered education is effective in improving adherence to the treatment regimen in patients with coronary artery disease. Consequently, patient-centered education applied in the current study can be recommended as a simple, low-cost, and efficient technique in increasing adherence to the treatment regimen in patients with coronary artery disease.