Four-item Morisky Medication Adherence Scale Research Articles

Frailty and medication adherence among older adult patients with hypertension: a moderated mediation model.

Medication adherence has a critical impact on the well-being of older adult patients with hypertension. As such, the current study aimed to investigate the mediating role of health literacy between frailty and medication adherence and the moderating role of educational level. This cross-sectional study included patients admitted to the geriatric unit of a hospital. Participants were interviewed using the four-item Morisky Medication Adherence Scale, the Frailty Phenotype Scale, and the Health Literacy Management Scale. Spearman's correlation coefficients were used to assess the association between variables. Mediation and moderated mediation analyses were performed using Process version 4.1 via Model 4 and 14, respectively. Data from 388 participants were analyzed. The median (IQR [P25-P75]) score for medication adherence was 4.00 (2.00-4.00). Results revealed that after controlling for age, sex, hypertension complication(s) and body mass index, frailty significantly contributed to medication adherence (βtotal -0.236 [95% confidence interval (CI) -0.333 to -0.140]). Medication adherence was influenced by frailty (βdirect -0.192 [95% CI -0.284 to -0.099]) both directly and indirectly through health literacy (βindirect -0.044 [95% CI -0.077 to -0.014]). Educational level moderated the pathway mediated by health literacy; more specifically, the conditional indirect effect between frailty and medication adherence was significant among older adult hypertensive patients with low, intermediate, and high educational levels (effect -0.052 [95% CI -0.092 to -0.106]; effect -0.041 [95% CI -0.071 to -0.012]; effect -0.026 [95% CI -0.051 to -0.006]). The relationship between frailty and medication adherence in older adult patients with hypertension was found to have mediating and moderating effects. A moderated mediation model was proposed to investigate the effect of frailty on medication adherence. It was effective in strengthening medication adherence by improving health literacy and reducing frailty. More attention needs to be devoted to older adult patients with hypertension and low educational levels.

Development and validation of a nomogram model for medication non-adherence in patients with chronic kidney disease

ObjectiveThe high prevalence of medication non-adherence in patients with chronic kidney disease places a tremendous burden on healthcare resources. The study was designed to develop and validate a nomogram model of medication non-adherence in patients with chronic kidney disease in China. MethodsA multicenter cross-sectional study was conducted. 1206 chronic kidney disease patients were consecutively enrolled from Be Resilient to Chronic Kidney Disease (registration number: ChiCTR2200062288) between September 2021 and October 2022 in four tertiary hospitals in China. The Chinese version of four-item Morisky Medication Adherence Scale was used to assess the medication adherence of the patients and associated factors consisted of socio-demographic information, self-designed medication knowledge questionnaire, the 10-item Connor-Davidson Resilience Scale, the Beliefs about Medicine questionnaire, the Acceptance Illness Scale, and the Family Adaptation Partnership Growth and Resolve Index. Least Absolute Shrinkage and Selection Operator regression was performed to select significant factors. Concordance index, Hosmer-Lemeshow test and decision curve analysis were estimated. ResultsThe prevalence of medication non-adherence was 63.8%. Area under the curves ranged from 0.72 to 0.96 in internal and external validation sets. The predicted probabilities of the model were consistent with those of the actual observations by Hosmer-Lemeshow test (all P > .05). The final model included educational level, occupational status, duration of chronic kidney disease, medication beliefs (perceptions of the need to take medications and concerns about adverse effects), and illness acceptance (adaptation and acceptance of the disease). ConclusionsThere is a high prevalence of medication non-adherence among Chinese patients with chronic kidney disease. A nomogram model based on five factors has been successfully developed and validated and could be incorporated into long-term medication management.

Predictors of poor medication adherence of older people with hypertension.

AimsTo explore the risk factors for poor medication adherence in older people with hypertension.DesignA cross‐sectional study.MethodsParticipants were administered with a self‐report questionnaire about their demographic characteristics; additionally, their four‐item Morisky Medication Adherence Scale scores were calculated. The STROBE checklist was applied as the reporting guideline for this study (File S1).ResultsUnivariate analysis indicated that the following five factors were statistically significantly associated with medication adherence: education level (χ 2 = 8.073, p = .045), co‐living (χ 2 = 11.364, p = .010), hypertension complications (χ 2 = 10.968, p = .001), admission blood pressure (χ 2 = 8.876, p = .003), and falls (χ 2 = 6.703, p = .010). Multivariable binary logistic regression analysis showed that there were four statistically significant predictors, such as people who lived with spouses and offspring (OR = 3.004, p = .017), and those who had high admission blood pressure (OR = 1.910, p = .003) had a greater risk of poor medication adherence, whereas those without hypertension complications (OR = 0.591, p = .026) and those without falls (OR = 0.530, p = .046) had a lower risk.Relevance to clinical practiceWe believe that these findings contribute to the identification of high‐risk people with poor adherence, allowing nurses to identify people with poor adherence in a timely manner, and pay attention to the people's medication.

Adherence to antihypertensive medications in rural Lao PDR: a prospective observational study

BackgroundAlthough hypertension is becoming more prevalent among the adult population of the Lao People’s Democratic Republic (PDR), with a prevalence of approximately 20% in 2013, treatment adherence of patients with hypertension, especially those in rural areas, remains poorly understood. The objective of the present study was to examine the rate of medication adherence to antihypertensive medicines among outpatients with hypertension in rural districts of the Savannakhet.MethodsA prospective observational study was conducted in Xepon, Phin, and Nong districts. The study population was outpatients aged 18 years or older who were prescribed antihypertensive medicines at three district hospitals between February and August 2017. Data were collected on the first day of treatment (day 0) and the day of follow-up (around day 7) through interviews with the patients and outpatient registration books. The medication adherence rate was determined using the four-item Morisky Medication Adherence Scale. The level of adherence was evaluated by the sum of the scale, with scores ranging from 0 to 4 points. The adherent group, namely those with a score of 0, and the non-adherent group, namely those with scores of 1 to 4 points, were compared. Fisher’s exact test was used to identify factors associated with medication adherence.ResultsOf the 68 patients examined, 38.2% newly began treatment. Half of the patients (n = 34, 50.0%, 95% CI 0.38 to 0.62) adhered to medication instructions. The adherent group was more likely to have received written instructions when prescribed medication, compared to the non-adherent group (79.4% vs 55.9%, p = 0.068). Those who perceived that hypertension needs lifelong treatment were significantly more likely to adhere to the medication regimen (p = 0.028).ConclusionsMedication adherence was present among 50% of outpatients with hypertension who visited a district hospital. Therefore, providing written instructions to patients would be effective for improving medication adherence.

A systematic review and meta-analysis of non-adherence to anti-diabetic medication: Evidence from low- and middle-income countries.

Non-adherence to anti-diabetic medication is an important cause of uncontrolled blood glucose that leads to complications of diabetes. However, there is a lack of evidence on the burden of and factors associated with non-adherence to anti-diabetic medication among individuals living with diabetes in low-and middle-income countries (LMICs). This systematic literature review and meta-analytic synthesis aims to estimate non-adherence to anti-diabetic medication reported among individuals in LMICs and explores factors affecting non-adherence. We systematically searched MEDLINE and Embase to identify studies investigating non-adherence to anti-diabetic medications published from January 2000 to May 2020. Two authors carried out study selection, screening, and data extraction independently. Cross-sectional studies that had been conducted among individuals with diabetes in LMICs were eligible for the selection process. Critical appraisal of the included studies was carried out using the Newcastle Ottawa Scale. Meta-analysis was carried out using Stata 14.2. Random effects model was used to compute the pooled proportion at a 95% confidence interval (CI). Forty-three studies met the inclusion criteria, of which 13 studies were used in meta-analysis. The pooled proportion of non-adherence to anti-diabetic medications using the eight-item Morisky Medication Adherence Scale (MMAS-8) was 43.4% (95% CI: 17.5-69.4; P<0.001) and 29.1% (95% CI: 19.8-38.4; P<0.001) when using the cut-off at 80 or 90%. The pooled proportion of non-adherence was 29.5% (95% CI: 25.5-33.5; P=.098) when using the four-item Morisky Medication Adherence Scale (MMAS-4). Using the World Health Organization (WHO) five dimensions of medication adherence framework, the factors contributing to non-adherence were varied, including disease factors, therapy-related factors, healthcare system factor, patient-centred factors, and socio-economic factors. Non-adherence to anti-diabetic medication remains an ongoing challenge in LMICs and several factors operating at different levels were cited as reasons. Comprehensive intervention strategies are urgently needed to address these factors in effectively tackling medication non-adherence in LMICs.

Antiretroviral therapy-related problems among human immunodeficiency virus-infected patients: A focus on medication adherence and pill burden

Background: There are problems associated with antiretroviral therapy despite its achievement. Poor medication adherence and inability to tolerate large pill burden are major problems facing patients with chronic illnesses. These drug therapy problems are under-studied among people living with human immunodeficiency virus (HIV)/acquired immunodeficiency syndrome (AIDS) in Nigeria. We evaluated adherence and pill burden among this set of patients in a tertiary hospital in Lagos. Methods: Data for eligible HIV-infected adults were documented from case notes and through interviews using a well-structured questionnaire. Important details extracted were sociodemographics, pills information, and CD4 counts. The main outcome measures were drug adherence, as assessed by the four-item Morisky Medication Adherence Scale and pill burden, as measured by daily pill >5. Results: Of the 296 patients, 219 (74%) were females. Median age (interquartile range) was 40 (35.0–47.7) years. Majority (262; 88.5%) were married, had at least a secondary education (142:48.0%), and CD4 count >500 cells/ml (215; 72.6%). Pill burden >5 pills/day was observed in 12.2% of the patients, while adherence was documented for 83.4% of the patients. Majority (259; 87.5%) were receiving fixed-dose combination of antiretroviral drugs. Forgetfulness (16.5%) and being too busy to take pills (10.5%) were the most common reasons for nonadherence. Pill burden in those who were not receiving fixed-dose combination was significantly associated with medication nonadherence. However, only pill burden was found to be an independent prognosticator of non-adherance. (Odd ratio = 0.67, confidence interval = 0.03–1.66, P < 0.00). Conclusion: Medication nonadherence and pill burden were observed in more than one-tenth of patients. These were the two major antiretroviral therapy-related problems reported in this study.

Relationship Between Medication Literacy and Medication Adherence in Inpatients With Coronary Heart Disease in Changsha, China.

Background: Medication literacy may be associated with medication safety, and medication adherence is critical in treating coronary heart disease. Few studies have explored the association between medication literacy and medication adherence in patients with coronary heart disease. The aim was to investigate the status of medication literacy and medication adherence among Chinese inpatients with coronary heart disease, and explore the association between medication literacy and medication adherence. Methods: The study was a cross-sectional survey. Four hundred seventy inpatients with coronary heart disease were recruited from hospitals in Changsha, Hunan, China. Participants’ demographic and clinical data were retrieved from hospital charts. Medication adherence was assessed using the four-item Morisky Medication Adherence Scale. Medication literacy was assessed using the Chinese Version of the Medication Literacy Scale. For univariate analysis, potential factors influencing medication adherence were tested by T-tests, analysis of variance, and the Kruskal–Wallis H test. Binary logistic regression model was conducted with medication adherence as the outcome variable in order to analyze the association between medication literacy and medication adherence in inpatients with coronary heart disease. Results: Among 512 participants, 470 (91.8%) produced valid responses for the survey. Mean (SD) of medication adherence score was 2.26 (13.6); only 13.6% had optimal medication adherence. Mean (SD) of medication literacy score was 7.52 (4.09); participants with adequate medication literacy was 30.2% (142). Binary logistic regression analysis indicated that medication literacy was an independent predictor associated with medication adherence. Participants with adequate medication literacy were more likely to have optimal medication adherence (OR 1.461 [95% CI: 0.114, 0.643]; P = 0.005), and participants with a high level of education (OR 0.613 [95% CI: 0.284, 0.694]; P< 0.001), a fewer number of medicines (OR 1.514 [95% CI: -0.631, -0.198]; P < 0.001), having medical insurance (OR 0.770 [95% CI: -1.769, 0.059]; P = 0.043), and single inpatients were more likely to be adherent (OR 1.655 [95% CI:-0.858, -0.149]; P = 0.005). Conclusions: The study indicates a significant association between medication literacy and medication adherence in patients with coronary heart disease. These results suggest that medication literacy is an important consideration in the development, implementation, and evaluation of medication adherence interventions.

Influence of Supervised Disease Understanding and Diabetes Self-Management on Adherence to Oral Glucose-Lowering Treatment in Patients with Type 2 Diabetes.

IntroductionSystematic patient education has been reported to improve adherence to treatment, leading to better clinical outcomes. This cluster randomized real-world study investigated the effect of a systematic education program and telephone support on self-reported adherence to oral glucose-lowering treatment in patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM).MethodsCenters were randomized (1:1) to provide either standard-of-care (control group) or standard-of-care along with the education program and telephone support (empowerment group). Adherence to treatment and satisfaction with treatment were assessed using the four-item Morisky Medication Adherence Scale (MMAS-4) and the Diabetes Treatment Satisfaction Questionnaire (DTSQ). The study population included 457 patients (258/199 male/female) with T2DM and non-optimal glycemic control, on oral antidiabetic treatment (age 62.7 [11.4]; disease duration 8.5 [6.5] years).ResultsMMAS-4 high adherence rates for the control and empowerment groups were increased by 3.8% and 16.8% at 4 months (Breslow-Day test p = 0.04) and by 8.5% and 18.8% at 8 months of follow-up, respectively (Breslow-Day test p = 0.09), compared to baseline. Intense physical activity was increased in both control and empowerment groups by 2.3% and 13.9% at 4 months (Breslow-Day test p = 0.082) and by 4.0% and 22.5% at 8 months of follow-up (Breslow-Day test p < 0.001). Baseline mean (SD) HbA1c was significantly lower in the control group compared with the empowerment group [7.7% versus 8.0%, p = 0.001] and decreased in both groups at 4 months by 0.7% and 0.9%, respectively. The change from baseline in the mean DTSQ status score at 4 months was greater in the empowerment group, and the effect was sustained at 8 months (control group: 29.1, 30.5, and 30.9; empowerment group: 25.0, 28.7, and 29.4 at baseline, 4 and 8 months, respectively, p < 0.001).ConclusionSystematic education combined with telephone support delivered by physicians might be associated with improvement in treatment adherence and treatment satisfaction in patients with T2DM.FundingMSD, Greece.Electronic Supplementary MaterialThe online version of this article (10.1007/s13300-019-0648-9) contains supplementary material, which is available to authorized users.

Social support, self-rated health, treatment adherence and effectiveness in patients with type II diabetes and hypertension

A high level of social support (SS) is associated with better health outcomes in many conditions, such as chronic diseases. To describe the level of SS in patients with Hypertension and type II Diabetes at Primary Health Care level in Chile and its association with self-rated health, adherence to treatment and better glycemic and blood pressure control. SS was measured using a social support inventory previously validated in Chile. Self-Rated Health was assessed with a single non-comparative general question; adherence to medication was assessed using the four-item Morisky medication adherence scale. Blood glucose and blood pressure control were also assessed. A logistic regression was performed to estimate Prevalence Odds Ratio (POR) and Robust Poisson method to estimate the Prevalence Ratio (PR). Eighty three percent of the 647 participants evaluated high for SS. There was a significant correlation between SS and Self-rated health (POR 2.32; 95% confidence intervals (CI) 1.19-11.23; PR 1.18; 95% CI 1.07-1.31). No statistically significant association was observed with medication adherence, glycemic or blood pressure control. High levels of SS were found. The association between self-rated health suggests that SS interventions targeting vulnerable subgroups would be worthwhile.

Barriers to medication adherence and links to cardiovascular disease risk factor control: the Framingham Heart Study.

In the elderly, impaired cognition may weaken medication adherence and compromise treatment for cardiovascular disease (CVD). We examined risk factors for medication adherence and the relationship between adherence and levels of CVD risk factors among older participants with hypertension, dyslipidaemia and diabetes in the Framingham Heart Study. The four-item Morisky Medication Adherence Scale was administered to 1559 participants, median age 70 years, 53% women. We created an adherence score, ranging from 0 to 4, with low adherence defined as a score ≥2. CVD risk factors were assessed using standard protocols. Cognition was measured using the Mini-Mental State Examination (MMSE) and depressive symptoms were measured using the Center for Epidemiologic Studies of Depression (CES-D) scale. Among participants who self-reported taking antihypertensive, lipid-lowering and/or hyperglycaemic medication(s), 12% (n = 191) had low medication adherence. The risk of low adherence increased by 45% (95% confidence interval (CI): 25-68%, P < 0.001) per five-unit increase in CES-D score. In participants taking antihypertensive medication (n = 1017), low adherence was associated with higher mean diastolic blood pressure (73 mmHg, 95% CI: 71-75 vs 71 mmHg, 95% CI: 70-71; P = 0.04) after adjusting for covariates. Among participants taking lipid-lowering medication (n = 937), low adherence was associated with higher mean low-density lipoprotein cholesterol (92 mg/dL, 95% CI: 87-96 vs 86 mg/dL, 95% CI: 84-88; P = 0.03). Low adherence was not associated with fasting plasma glucose (P = 0.10) or haemoglobin A1c (P = 0.68) in the subgroup of participants (n = 192) taking hypoglycaemic medication. Depressive symptoms might act as a barrier for medication adherence, which exacerbates CVD risk factors in older-aged adults.

Routine urinary detection of antihypertensive drugs for systematic evaluation of adherence to treatment in hypertensive patients.

Nonadherence to antihypertensive therapy is an important cause of poor blood pressure control. However, to date, few effective and accurate tools exist to routinely evaluate drug nonadherence. In this observational study, performed under conditions of routine clinical practice, we included 174 patients (aged 67 ± 11 years) with treated essential hypertension who attended the outpatient hypertension clinic of a university hospital. Adherence to antihypertensive treatment was measured by using ultraperformance liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry in spot urine at the time of clinical appointment and blood pressure measurement. Patients were also asked to report their adherence using a validated questionnaire (four-item Morisky Medication Adherence Scale). The prevalence of directly measured nonadherence by urine drug detection was approximately 10%. Compared with adherent patients, those who did not adhere to their treatment (n = 15) had a higher number of antihypertensive pills and drugs (P = 0.02), cotreatment with cardiovascular drugs (P < 0.05), and total concurrent medications and pills (P < 0.01). After adjustment for age, SBP and DBP were higher in nonadherent than adherent group (SBP: 146 ± 18 vs. 131 ± 14, respectively, P < 0.01; and DBP: 77 ± 15 vs. 73 ± 9, respectively, P < 0.01). There was no significant association between four-item Morisky Medication Adherence Scale score and directly measured nonadherence. A longitudinal analysis, performed in a subpopulation of 105 patients after a median follow-up of 11 months, showed that the adherence status remained unchanged in 88% of patients. These results indicate a good adherence to antihypertensive drugs in patients attending the outpatient clinics of a university hospital. They suggest that urine detection of antihypertensive drugs by ultraperformance liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry is an accurate and practical tool for directly monitoring adherence. This direct information is not overlapping with self-report questionnaire.

An evaluation of factors affecting adherence to antiepileptic drugs in patients with epilepsy: a cross-sectional study.

Adherence to antiepileptic drug (AED) therapy is important for controlling seizures in patients with epilepsy (PWE). It is vital to identify the factors influencing adherence to AED therapy using validated tools. This study aimed to evaluate the pattern and extent of AED adherence among PWE and to identify the factors that influence adherence. This was a cross-sectional study involving PWE who had a confirmed diagnosis. Treatment adherence was assessed using the four-item Morisky Medication Adherence Scale. Univariate analysis with chi-square test was used to observe the association between different variables and AED adherence. Binary logistic regression analysis was used to identify the predictors of adherence. 451 PWE (mean age 27.3 ± 8.1 years) were enrolled in the study; 251 (55.7%) were male and 198 (43.9%) were from the lower socioeconomic class. 326 (72.3%) patients had high adherence to AED therapy, while 125 (27.7%) had low adherence. AED adherence was significantly associated with socioeconomic status (p = 0.043) and type of epilepsy (p = 0.033). However, no significant difference was observed between adherence and age, gender, marital status, epilepsy duration, number and type of AEDs, and occurrence of adverse drug reactions. Patients with focal epilepsy and those from the middle/lower-middle socioeconomic classes were less likely to be nonadherent. The primary reason for nonadherence was forgetfulness. This study found that a majority of PWE have optimal rates of AED adherence and that forgetfulness is the primary reason for nonadherence among PWE.

Medication Adherence in Kidney Transplant Recipients in an Urban Indian Setting.

Medication nonadherence is a known problem after renal transplantation and can vary from one setting to another. Since it can lead to negative outcomes, it is important to develop intervention strategies to enhance adherence in a given setting using determinants identified through exploratory studies. We explored nonadherence in renal transplant recipients. A longitudinal survey was done with adult renal transplant recipients at a tertiary care public and two private hospitals of Kolkata. Subjects were followed-up for 1 year. After screening for medication adherence status by the four-item Morisky Medication Adherence Scale, those admitting to potential nonadherence were probed further. A patient was deemed to be nonadherent if failing to take medicines on appointed time (doses missed or delayed by more than 2 h) more than three times in any month during the observation period. A pretested questionnaire was used to explore potential determinants of nonadherence. Data of 153 patients recruited over a 2-year were analyzed. The extent of nonadherence with immunosuppressant regimens was about 31% overall; 44% in the public sector and 19% in the private sector (P < 0.001). Nonadherence with other medication was around 19% in both the sectors. Several potential demographic, socioeconomic and psychosocial determinants of nonadherence were identified on univariate analysis. However, logistic regression analysis singled out only the economic status. This study had updated the issue of nonadherence in renal transplant recipients in the Indian setting. Strategies to improve medication adherence can be planned by relevant stakeholders on the basis of these findings.

Medication Non-adherence and Use of Traditional Treatment Among Adult Psychiatric Patients in Jimma Town Treated at Jimma University Teaching Hospital Psychiatric Clinic. Community Based Cross-sectional Study, 2016

Background: Medication non-adherence is common problem across all branches of medicine including psychiatry especially in severe mental illness. Many people with mental illness are known to use both modern and traditional treatment for their illness. However, the level of medication non-adherence among this group of patients is not yet explored. This study was conducted to assess the magnitude of non-adherence and traditional treatment as well as associated factors with non-adherence. Methods: Community based cross sectional study was conducted from April June, 2016 in Jimma town. Data was collected using interviewer administered questionnaire and from patients’ medical record. The four-item Morisky medication adherence scale was used to assess degree of medication non adherence. Pre-test was done on patients who had follow-up at Jimma University teaching Hospital psychiatric clinic and outside the study area. Data was analyzed using SPSS version 20 for windows and descriptive statistics and binary logistic regression statistical methods were applied. P-Value of less than 0.05 was considered statistically significant association in the final model. Results: Out of 300 patients, 61.7% males and 38.3% were females. The prevalence rate of medication nonadherence was 39.3% and 198 (66%) of the participants were traditional treatment users. Using religious types of traditional treatment [AOR=3.763, 95% C.I (1.459, 9.707)], longer duration of treatment (>10 years) [AOR=0.375, 95% C.I (0.155, 0.908)], no history of treatment default [AOR=0.375, 95% C.I (0.155, 0.908)] and no relapse history [AOR=0.365, 95% C.I (0.190, 0.702)] were independently associated variables with medication non-adherence. Conclusion: This study showed that high magnitude of non-adherence and majority of the participants were users of traditional treatments which significantly affects medication adherence. Therefore, mental health professionals should focus on methods how to work cooperatively with traditional treatment giver to decrease non adherence and improve counseling service for patients about being non adherent and its effect on clinical outcome.

Impact of Treatment-Related Beliefs on Medication Adherence in Immune-Mediated Inflammatory Diseases: Results of the Global ALIGN Study.

IntroductionMedication adherence is critical in chronic immune-mediated inflammatory diseases (IMIDs) and could be affected by patients’ treatment-related beliefs. The objective of this study was to determine beliefs about systemic medications in patients with IMIDs and to explore the association of those beliefs and other factors with adherence.MethodsThis was a multi-country, cross-sectional, self-administered survey study. Included were adults diagnosed with one of six IMIDs receiving conventional systemic medications and/or tumor necrosis factor inhibitors (TNFi). Patients’ necessity beliefs/concerns towards and adherence to treatments were assessed by the Beliefs about Medicines Questionnaire and four-item Morisky Medication Adherence Scale. Correlation of patients’ beliefs about treatment and other factors with adherence were evaluated by multivariable regression analyses.ResultsAmong studied patients (N = 7197), 32.0% received TNFi monotherapy, 27.7% received TNFi–conventional combination therapy, and 40.3% received conventional medications. Across IMIDs, high adherence to systemic treatment was more prevalent in TNFi groups (61.3–80.7%) versus corresponding conventional treatment groups (28.4–64.7%). In at least four IMIDs, greater perception of the illness continuing forever (P < 0.001), of the treatment helping (P < 0.001), and more concerns about the illness (P < 0.01), but not clinical parameters, were associated with higher treatment necessity beliefs. Higher treatment necessity beliefs, older age, Caucasian race, and TNFi therapy were associated with high medication adherence in at least four IMIDs.ConclusionsTreatment necessity beliefs were higher than concerns about current medication in patients with IMID. Illness perceptions had a greater impact on treatment necessity beliefs than clinical parameters. Older age, greater treatment necessity beliefs, and TNFi therapy were associated with high self-reported medication adherence in at least four IMIDs.Trial registrationACTRN12612000977875.FundingAbbVie.Electronic supplementary materialThe online version of this article (doi:10.1007/s12325-016-0441-3) contains supplementary material, which is available to authorized users.

Determinants of antihypertensive adherence among patients in Beijing: Application of the health belief model

ObjectivesThis study was aimed to determine the factors associated with antihypertensive adherence based on the Health Belief Model (HBM). MethodsA cross-sectional study was conducted in a rural area of China in 2014. The questionnaire included information about demographics, a scale based on the HBM, and the four-item Morisky Medication Adherence Scale. Results745 hypertensive patients participated in the study (345 men, 400 women). Patients’ mean age was 56.4±10.8years. The prevalence of adherence was 43.5%. Structural equation modeling showed that men, older participants, and those with greater knowledge of hypertension showed better medication adherence than did other participants. Based on the HBM, higher levels of self-efficacy and perceived severity and a lower level of perceived barriers were associated with better antihypertensive adherence. Self-efficacy was one of the most important mediating variables affecting antihypertensive adherence. ConclusionsAntihypertensive adherence was not optimal among patients in Beijing. Given that many factors are associated with medication adherence, individualized intervention strategies should be carried out in Beijing, China, especially in community settings. Practice implicationsMedication adherence can be improved by enhancing patients’ self-efficacy because it was the most important influence and mediating variable.

Glucocorticoids in systemic sclerosis: patients’ beliefs and treatment adherence

Objectives: To investigate how chronic intake of glucocorticoids (GCs) is perceived by patients with systemic sclerosis (SSc) in terms of necessity and concerns, and whether such beliefs influence treatment adherence.Method: Ninety-eight consecutive SSc patients who they had been taking oral GCs for > 3 months prior to the study were enrolled. All patients underwent a clinical evaluation and laboratory investigations, and were asked to complete four self-administered questionnaires: the Beliefs about Medicines Questionnaire (Specific-BMQ), the four-item Morisky Medication Adherence Scale (MMAS-4), the 36-item Short Form Health Survey (SF-36), and the Health Assessment Questionnaire Disability Index (HAQ-DI). Moreover, patients answered two additional questions investigating their knowledge about GC-related adverse events (AEs).Results: Seventy-seven patients (83.6%) believed in the necessity of GCs for maintaining health but 72.8% also reported concerns about potential AEs to GCs. A high adherence rate was recorded in 64.1% of patients. Only about 20% of patients reported knowing that a daily GC dose and treatment duration influence the burden of GC-related AEs. Patients who believed that GC-related AEs were influenced by the dose scored lower concerns (p = 0.043) and were more frequently labelled as accepting (perceiving high necessity and low concerns) (p = 0.009).Conclusions: The majority of patients taking GCs perceived them as necessary, but high concerns about chronic GC use exist. Patients with a poorer knowledge of the factors associated with GC-related AEs and those with a poorer quality of life were the most worried about these compounds. Experimental studies assessing the efficacy of educational programmes aiming to increase the adherence to GC therapy should be planned in these patients.

The effects of medication education and behavioral intervention on Chinese patients with epilepsy

ObjectivesThe objectives of this study were to evaluate the effects of medication education and behavioral intervention on Chinese patients with epilepsy and to compare the difference between them. MethodsA total of 109 patients with epilepsy who did not to take their antiepileptic drugs (AEDs) more than once were randomly assigned to two intervention groups: the medication education group (group I) and the medication education with behavioral intervention group (group II). Group I was initially provided with medication education in the form of oral education and written materials, and this education was reinforced by monthly calls from the pharmacist over the next six months. The behavioral intervention provided to group II consisted of a modified medication schedule which was based on cue–dose training therapy. The outcomes that were evaluated both in the beginning and in the end of the study included adherence, which was measured using the four-item Morisky Medication Adherence Scale (MMAS-4), the number of seizures, knowledge of AEDs, and the number of patients who missed a dose of their AEDs. Differences within and between the groups were analyzed. ResultsAfter intervention, the adherence and knowledge of AEDs increased greatly in all patients, and the number of patients who had seizures or missed AEDs decreased. However, no significant differences were observed between groups I and II. The observed changes were (group I vs group II, p value) increased adherence: 62.3% vs 64.3%, 0.827; increased knowledge of AEDs: 88.7% vs 80.4%, 0.231; and improved seizure control: 64.2% vs 64.3%, 0.988. In addition, the percentage of patients who forgot to take their AEDs decreased to 45.0% from more than 70%, and 44.9% of these patients took the missed AEDs as soon as they remembered. DiscussionThese findings clearly demonstrate that medication education and reinforced telephone calls from pharmacists can help to increase adherence to AEDs, the knowledge of patients regarding AEDs, and seizure control. However, the inclusion of a behavioral strategy that was easy to administer and use in this program did not lead to any significant effects on improving adherence. The results indicate that pharmacists can play an important role in improving the effects of medication regimens, but further research is required to identify strategies for improving adherence to behavioral theory.

Improving post-discharge medication adherence in patients with CVD: a pilot randomized trial.

BackgroundEffective interventions to improve medication adherence are usually complex and expensive.ObjectiveTo assess the impact of a low-cost intervention designed to improve medication adherence and clinical outcomes in post-discharge patients with CVD.MethodA pilot RCT was conducted at a teaching hospital. Intervention was based on the four-item Morisky Medication Adherence Scale (MMAS-4). The primary outcome measure was medication adherence assessed using the eight-item MMAS at baseline, at 1 month post hospital discharge and re-assessed 1 year after hospital discharge. Other outcomes included readmission and mortality rates.Results61 patients were randomized to intervention (n = 30) and control (n = 31) groups. The mean age of the patients was 61 years (SD 12.73), 52.5% were males, and 57.4% were married or living with a partner. Mean number of prescribed medications per patient was 4.5 (SD 3.3). Medication adherence was correlated to intervention (p = 0.04) and after 1 month, 48.4% of patients in the control group and 83.3% in the intervention group were considered adherent. However, this difference decreased after 1 year, when adherence was 34.8% and 60.9%, respectively. Readmission and mortality rates were related to low adherence in both groups.ConclusionThe intervention based on a validated patient self-report instrument for assessing adherence is a potentially effective method to improve adherent behavior and can be successfully used as a tool to guide adherence counseling in the clinical visit. However, a larger study is required to assess the real impact of intervention on these outcomes.

InternationaL cross-sectIonAl and longItudinal assessment on aSthma cONtrol in European adult patients - the LIAISON study protocol

BackgroundAccording to international guidelines, the goal of asthma management is to achieve and maintain control of the disease, which can be assessed using composite measures. Prospective studies are required to determine how these measures are associated with asthma outcomes and/or future risk. The ‘InternationaL cross-sectIonAl and longItudinal assessment on aSthma cONtrol (LIAISON)’ observational study has been designed to evaluate asthma control and its determinants, including components of asthma management.Methods/designThe LIAISON study will be conducted in 12 European countries and comprises a cross-sectional phase and a 12-month prospective phase. Both phases will aim at assessing asthma control (six-item Asthma Control Questionnaire, ACQ), asthma-related quality of life (Mini Asthma Quality of Life Questionnaire, Mini-AQLQ), risk of non-adherence to treatment (four-item Morisky Medication Adherence Scale, MMAS-4), potential reasons for poor control, treatment strategies and associated healthcare costs.The cross-sectional phase will recruit > 8,000 adult patients diagnosed with asthma for at least 6 months and receiving the same asthma treatment in the 4 weeks before enrolment.The prospective phase will include all patients with uncontrolled/poorly controlled asthma at the initial visit to assess the proportion reaching control during follow-up and to examine predictors of future risk. Visits will take place after 3, 6 and 12 months.DiscussionThe LIAISON study will provide important information on the prevalence of asthma control and on the quality of life in a broad spectrum of real-life patient populations from different European countries and will also contribute to evaluate differences in management strategies and their impact on healthcare costs over 12 months of observation.Trial registrationClinicalTrials.gov identifier, NCT01567280.