The Needs and Barriers of Medication-Taking Self-Efficacy Among Poststroke Patients: Qualitative Study.
Jamuna Rani Appalasamy, Pathmavathi Subramanian, Kit Mun Tan and 3 others
PMID 34345772WHAT IT FOUND
Poststroke patients said they needed confidence to actively learn about stroke and its preventative medication, not just receive advice.
Barriers included limited reliable information, poor communication, low motivation, family and media influence, dependency and disability.
Key findings
01Patients described needing confidence to become independent and active learners about stroke and its preventative medication.
02About 5 of the 10 patients knew relevant knowledge was important but were laid-back, and 2 of the 10 patients had poor literacy levels.
03Barriers included inadequate or unreliable information, poor communication with prescribers, and physical disability that complements low motivation.
STILL TO COME
How it was doneWhat they foundWhat it means for RNs
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What it does not show
Only 10 patients completed interviews, and the authors could not secure funding for reimbursement, causing a high drop-out rate. These themes cannot be assumed to apply to all poststroke patients. Participants were selected from one outpatient neurology clinic in Malaysia and had to be able to converse, read and write, with no memory problems, so the study may not reflect patients with severe aphasia, cognitive impairment or other settings. The authors could not clearly separate language barriers from health literacy barriers, and they say more work with validated tools is needed. The study did not test an intervention or measure whether addressing these needs and barriers improves medication adherence.
Declared interests
The authors reported no conflicts of interest. They note that appropriate funding for patient reimbursement was not secured.
The easy way to misread this
Do not conclude that improving medication-taking self-efficacy will improve adherence. The study described needs and barriers in 10 poststroke patients and did not test an intervention or measure adherence outcomes.