Influential Factors in Adherence to the Therapeutic Regime in Hypertension and Diabetes.
Dora Inés Parra, Sandra Lucrecia Romero Guevara, Lyda Z Rojas
PMID 31830400WHAT IT FOUND
In 500 patients with hypertension or diabetes, adherence was lower for those on subsidized health insurance or unable to read disease management information.
Adherence was higher for those who never stopped treatment when symptoms improved or believed food and exercise habits were hard to change.
Key findings
01Belonging to the government subsidized health regime and being unable to read written information about managing the disease were associated with lower adherence scores.
02Not receiving information about the benefits of prescribed medications was associated with lower adherence.
03Patients who reported never interrupting treatment when symptoms improved, never having prior compliance difficulties, and never believing food or exercise customs are hard to change had higher adherence scores.
STILL TO COME
How it was doneWhat they foundWhat it means for RNs
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What it does not show
The study only included patients already active in cardiovascular risk programs, who may have higher baseline adherence than those not engaged in care. Adherence was measured by self-report, which tends to overestimate actual compliance compared to objective measures. The cross-sectional design identifies associations but cannot prove that these factors cause changes in adherence.
Declared interests
The study was funded by COLCIENCIAS (Colombian Administrative Department of Science, Technology and Innovation) as part of a project on cardiovascular disease burden. The authors declared no other conflicts of interest.
The easy way to misread this
Do not assume that providing written information improves adherence. The study found that patients who could not read disease management information had lower adherence, but it did not test whether simply giving them materials fixes the problem. The association with literacy and access suggests a need for tailored, verbal, or visual education strategies rather than just handing out pamphlets.