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Adherence, Fears, and Beliefs about Biologic Drugs in Rheumatoid Arthritis Patients: A North African Pilot Study
Soumaya Boussaid1,2,3, Emna Hannech1,2, Sonia Rekik1,2,3
1Rheumatology Department, La Rabta Hospital, Tunis, Tunisia.
Mediterranean Journal of Rheumatology
|January 31, 2025
Summary
Patient beliefs significantly impact adherence to biologic drugs for rheumatoid arthritis (RA). Understanding necessity and concerns is key to improving treatment adherence in RA patients.
Area of Science:
- Rheumatology
- Psychology
- Pharmacology
Background:
- Rheumatoid arthritis (RA) is a chronic autoimmune disease requiring long-term treatment with biologic disease-modifying antirheumatic drugs (bDMARDs).
- Patient beliefs about medications can influence treatment adherence, a critical factor for managing chronic conditions like RA.
- Understanding these beliefs is essential for developing effective strategies to improve therapeutic outcomes in RA patients.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the impact of patients' beliefs on their adherence to biologic drugs in rheumatoid arthritis (RA).
- To explore the relationship between specific medication beliefs and adherence to bDMARDs in RA patients.
Main Methods:
- A cross-sectional study was conducted with RA patients undergoing treatment with bDMARDs.
- Therapeutic adherence was assessed via a self-reported question regarding regular medication intake.
- The Beliefs about Medicines Questionnaire (BMQ) was employed to evaluate patients' beliefs, including general overuse, general harm, specific necessity, and specific concerns.
Main Results:
- Out of 75 RA patients, 94.7% reported adherence to their biologic drug.
- Non-adherent patients (n=4) exhibited significantly lower scores for specific necessity and higher scores for specific concerns compared to adherent patients.
- Logistic regression analysis indicated that specific necessity and specific concerns were significantly associated with adherence to bDMARDs.
Conclusions:
- RA patients demonstrate strong beliefs regarding the necessity of biologic drugs, which significantly influences their adherence behavior.
- Targeting specific beliefs, particularly necessity and concerns, may be a viable strategy to enhance treatment adherence in RA management.
- Further research could explore interventions aimed at modifying maladaptive beliefs to improve long-term adherence and patient outcomes in RA.
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