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Barriers to Adherence in Elderly Heart Failure Patients

  • Clinical and Nonclinical Drug Development
  • Continuing Education
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Abstract

We determined the knowledge and skills associated with medication adherence for 61 heart failure patients over the age of 50. Adherence data were collected using electronic medication event monitoring systems, pharmacy refills, and participants’ self-report. Only 20% of participants correctly remembered their medications’ indications, but larger proportions could read prescription labels (62%), distinguish tablet and capsule colors (54%), and open medication bottles with flip-top lids (100%), and knew the medication dos ages (66%) and administration times (49%). We modeled the effects of knowledge and medication skills on medication adherence while controlling for demographics. The final mixed effect multiple logistic model contained knowledge of correct dosing times (p = 0.001) and reading ability (p= 0.029) as the best predictors of medication adherence. Our assessments and model identified patient-specific barriers to adherence and predicted patients at risk of poor adherence who may be targets of an intervention.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Medicine, University of Mississippi School of Medicine, 2500 N. State Street, Jackson, Mississippi, 39216, USA

    Carol J. Hope PharmD, MS (Assistant Professor)

  2. Department of Medicine (Division of Biostatistics), Indiana University School of Medicine, Indianapolis, Indiana, USA

    Jingwei Wu MS (Biostatistician)

  3. Department of Medicine, Indiana University School of Medicine, USA

    Wanzhu Tu PhD (Assistant Professor, Research Scientist)

  4. Regenstrief Institute, Indianapolis, Indiana, USA

    Wanzhu Tu PhD (Assistant Professor, Research Scientist) & Michael D. Murray PharmD, MPH (Bucke Professor of Pharmacy, Director of Health Care Data & Epidemiology, Senior Research Scientist)

  5. Purdue University School of Pharmacy, Indianapolis, Indiana, USA

    Wanzhu Tu PhD (Assistant Professor, Research Scientist)

  6. Wishard Health Services, Indianapolis, Indiana, USA

    James Young PharmD (Research Pharmacist)

  7. Purdue University, USA

    Michael D. Murray PharmD, MPH (Bucke Professor of Pharmacy, Director of Health Care Data & Epidemiology, Senior Research Scientist)

Authors
  1. Carol J. Hope PharmD, MS
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  2. Jingwei Wu MS
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  3. Wanzhu Tu PhD
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  4. James Young PharmD
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  5. Michael D. Murray PharmD, MPH
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Correspondence to Carol J. Hope PharmD, MS.

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Hope, C.J., Wu, J., Tu, W. et al. Barriers to Adherence in Elderly Heart Failure Patients. Ther Innov Regul Sci 38, 331–341 (2004). https://doi.org/10.1177/009286150403800404

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