Results : Intentional factors affecting adherence include patient , caregiver and prescriber beliefs about therapies and the disease itself .
Conclusion : Due to the high level of caregiver involvement in the care of patients with AD , strategies that address caregiver concerns may improve adherence
Background / Aims : Treatment adherence is a major problem in numerous medical conditions , and is a particular challenge in patients with Alzheimer 's disease ( AD ) .
Medicine-taking practices in community-dwelling people aged > or =75 years in New Zealand.
BACKGROUND older people experience more chronic medical conditions than younger people , take more prescription medicines and are more likely to suffer from cognitive or memory problems . Older people are more susceptible to the adverse effects of medicines , which may reduce their quality of life or lead to hospitalisation or death . OBJECTIVE this study aims to identify medicine-taking practice s amongst community-dwelling people aged > or = 75 years in New Zeal and . METHODS this study was carried out in an urban setting in Dunedin ( population 120,000 ) , New Zeal and . Interviews of a r and om sample of people from the electoral roll using a structured question naire were conducted . Subjects were community-dwelling people aged > or = 75 years taking one or more prescription medicines . From a r and om sample of 810 people extracted from the electoral roll intended to recruit 300 participants , 524 people met the study criteria and were invited to participate . People living in a rest home or hospital , not contactable by telephone , or now deceased , were excluded . Responses were analysed , medicines categorised by the Anatomical Therapeutic Chemical classification and adherence classed as high , medium and low using a modified four-item Morisky Medication Adherence Scale . Univariate and multivariate linear and logistic regression was applied to combinations of variables . RESULTS in total , 316 interviews were undertaken ; a 61 % response rate . Participants were 75 - 79 ( 35 % ) , 80 - 84 ( 40 % ) and > 85 years ( 25 % ) ; New Zeal and European/European ( 84 % ) , ' New Zeal and ers ' ( 14 % ) or Maori ( 2 % ) ; and 141 ( 45 % ) lived alone . Almost half ( 49 % ) regularly saw a specialist and a third ( 34 % ) had been admitted to hospital in the past 12 months . Participants used a median of seven prescription medicines ( range 1 - 19 ) and one non-prescription medicine ( 0 - 14 ) . The majority ( 58 % ) believed medicines are effective and had systems/routines ( 92 % ) for remembering to take them . Doses tended to be missed following a change in routine , e.g. holiday . Men were more likely to report ' trouble remembering ' than women ( odds ratio = 1.86 , 95 % confidence interval 1.10 - 3.14 ; P = 0.020 ) . Seventy-five percent of people had high or medium adherence scores and 25 % , low scores . Common problems were reading and underst and ing labels ( 9 and 4 % , respectively ) and leaflets ( 12 % , 6 % ) , and difficulty swallowing solid dose forms ( 14 % ) . Only 6 % had problems paying for their medicines . Around 17 % wanted to know more about their medicines , and some people were confused about their medicines following hospital discharge . CONCLUSION overall , community-dwelling people aged > or = 75 years in this study appeared to manage their medicines well and found them affordable . Nevertheless , there is a need to improve labelling , leaflets and education on medicines , particularly at hospital discharge
Results : Intentional factors affecting adherence include patient , caregiver and prescriber beliefs about therapies and the disease itself .
Conclusion : Due to the high level of caregiver involvement in the care of patients with AD , strategies that address caregiver concerns may improve adherence
Background / Aims : Treatment adherence is a major problem in numerous medical conditions , and is a particular challenge in patients with Alzheimer 's disease ( AD ) .