Abstract
Background Increase in chronic disease and hospital stays of minimal length have caused a rise in the number of outpatients receiving long-term medication. The authors conducted the present study to examine their adherence to medication.
Methods Self-administered questionnares covering 20 items related to adherence were collected from outpatients who received medication from O university hospital on a day in October 1998. The authors examined the relationship between adherence to medication and lifestyle and then analyzed predictors of adherence using discriminant analysis.
Results The rare of adherence to medication for 943 outpatients in O university hospital was 87.9%. The major reasons for non•adherence were “forgetting medication”, “leaving home without [one's] medication,” “suspecting side effects” and “having no sympoms”. The patients who made a detailed explanation displayed better understanding and adherence to medication.
Although 94.8% of the patients received an explanation about their medications at least once, 76.9% expressed some anxiety about their use. Predictors of poor adherence to medication were “no support to remind the patient to take medicines correctly,” “anxiety about medication,” “not receiving a detailed explanation about medications,” “poor knowledge of medication,” and “youth (20-29 years of age).”
Conclusion Among outpatients in O university hospital, the medication adherence rate is 87.9%, but most patients had anxieties. The results clarified the need to consider lifestyle in medication management in the outpatient setting, since this was the main predictor of adherence to medication.
