A content analysis of medication adherence material in patient educational resources about gout

This study aimed to investigate how medication adherence is addressed in online gout resources in six countries. We investigated how often adherence was referred to, the strategies suggested to improve patient adherence, and the types of nonadherence that were targeted. We also examined the readability of the adherence material.

A content analysis was conducted on 151 online gout resources from medical and health organisations in six predominantly English-speaking countries. Two reviewers coded the content of the websites into categories (kappa 0.80). The analysis involved coding the resources for reasons for nonadherence, and adherence-promoting strategies. Flesch-Kincaid Reading Ease scores and word count were also computed.

Out of 151 websites examined, 77 websites discussed medication adherence (51%), with intentional nonadherence being more prevalent than unintentional nonadherence. 67 websites targeted different types of nonadherence, including drug-specific concerns (50%), misconceptions of gout curability and the necessity of medication (16%), forgetfulness (16%), and other practical challenges (5%). Strategies to promote adherence were found in one-third of the websites, with medication education being the most prevalent strategy (17%), followed by healthcare provider engagement (13%) and memory aid strategies (6%). On average, about 11% of the words (89.27, SD = 76.35) in the entire document were focused on adherence. Difficult reading comprehension was found in one-fifth of adherence-related websites.

Findings reveal limited medication adherence coverage and narrow strategies in online gout resources. Improved adherence portrayal is needed for effective gout management through comprehensive strategies and clear, understandable information.