Measuring Adherence in Hypertensive Patients-Pilot Study with Self-Efficacy for Appropriate Medication Use Scale in...

Area of Science:

• Cardiology
• Public Health
• Pharmacology

Background:

• Hypertension is the leading cardiovascular disease in Bulgaria, posing a significant public health challenge.
• Patient non-adherence to medication therapy is a frequent issue in managing hypertension.
• Assessing adherence is crucial for effective hypertension management and improving patient outcomes.

Purpose of the Study:

• To evaluate medication adherence among hypertension patients in Bulgaria.
• To utilize the validated Self-Efficacy for Appropriate Medication Use Scale (SEAMS) for adherence assessment.
• To identify factors influencing medication adherence in the Bulgarian hypertensive population.

Main Methods:

• A cross-sectional study conducted in major cardiology centers in Sofia and Burgas, Bulgaria.
• Data collected from January to July 2024 from 232 hypertension patients.
• Validated Bulgarian version of the SEAMS (19 questions) used, with statistical analyses including Cronbach's α, ANOVA, Pearson correlation, and covariance tests.

Main Results:

• A total of 232 patients (49.6% male, 50.4% female) completed the study.
• Increased number of comorbidities and prescribed medications correlated with lower adherence levels.
• Older age negatively impacted adherence scores; fixed-dose combinations (FDCs) showed similar or better adherence compared to multiple monoproducts across several age groups.

Conclusions:

• Medication adherence among the hypertensive Bulgarian population, as measured by SEAMS, is generally good.
• Factors negatively influencing adherence include older age, polypharmacy, and comorbidities.
• Therapy with monoproducts was associated with poorer adherence compared to FDCs in certain age demographics.