AIM: To assess adherence to antiepileptic drugs (AEDs) and factors associated with non-adherence in a sample of Chinese patients with epilepsy. METHODS: A cross-sectional descriptive study was carried out on patients who had no change in treatment regimen over the last six months. Data on adherence to medication and related factors for each patient were gathered using a questionnaire. RESULTS: Of a total of 368 patients studied, 48.1% of patients were non-adherent with regards to AEDs. There were no demographic differences (based on gender, age, seizure type, and rural or urban location) between adherent and non-adherent patients. Adherence was positively and significantly correlated with duration of illness (p=0.007). The primary reason for non-adherence was forgetfulness or not having medication on hand (69.6%), followed by a negative attitude (12.8%), a bad patient-prescriber relationship (9.5%), side effects (5.4%), inability to buy drugs (1.9%), and other reasons (0.8%). CONCLUSION: The non-adherence of epilepsy patients is common in China. Targeted management programs and communication strategies are necessary to improve adherence to AED treatments in patients with epilepsy and avoid the clinical consequences of poor adherence.
AIM: To assess adherence to antiepileptic drugs (AEDs) and factors associated with non-adherence in a sample of Chinese patients with epilepsy. METHODS: A cross-sectional descriptive study was carried out on patients who had no change in treatment regimen over the last six months. Data on adherence to medication and related factors for each patient were gathered using a questionnaire. RESULTS: Of a total of 368 patients studied, 48.1% of patients were non-adherent with regards to AEDs. There were no demographic differences (based on gender, age, seizure type, and rural or urban location) between adherent and non-adherent patients. Adherence was positively and significantly correlated with duration of illness (p=0.007). The primary reason for non-adherence was forgetfulness or not having medication on hand (69.6%), followed by a negative attitude (12.8%), a bad patient-prescriber relationship (9.5%), side effects (5.4%), inability to buy drugs (1.9%), and other reasons (0.8%). CONCLUSION: The non-adherence of epilepsypatients is common in China. Targeted management programs and communication strategies are necessary to improve adherence to AED treatments in patients with epilepsy and avoid the clinical consequences of poor adherence.
Authors: Lidia Mvr Moura; Eli L Schwamm; Valdery Moura Junior; Michael P Seitz; Daniel B Hoch; John Hsu; Lee H Schwamm Journal: Clinicoecon Outcomes Res Date: 2016-11-17