Association between rheumatology patients' beliefs about medicines and treatment adherence.
Özlem Kardaş Kin, Arzu Güngör Tolasa
PMID 41511968WHAT IT FOUND
Rheumatology patients who worried more about their medicines reported following treatment less closely.
Concern about medication use was linked to lower adherence. Ask about medication fears before judging non-adherence.
Key findings
01Beliefs about medicines were negatively associated with treatment adherence.
02As concern about medication use increased, adherence decreased.
03By the CQR cut-off, all patients included were classified as non-compliant.
STILL TO COME
How it was doneWhat they foundWhat it means for RNs
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What it does not show
The study was done in one tertiary hospital, so the results may not apply to other rheumatology settings. It was a cross-sectional survey, so it cannot show that beliefs cause non-adherence. Adherence was measured by questionnaire scores rather than refill records or observed dosing. All patients were classified as non-compliant by the CQR cut-off, so the scale may not distinguish degrees of adherence in this group. Depression and anxiety were not analyzed, although they may affect illness adaptation and medication beliefs. The study included several rheumatological diagnoses, and diagnosis-specific adherence patterns were not separated.
The easy way to misread this
Do not conclude that medication concerns cause poor adherence or that an education intervention will fix it. The study measured beliefs and self-reported adherence at one time and did not test any intervention.