The evaluation of medication adherence in patients with pulmonary thromboembolism

Abstract

Introduction: Pulmonary thromboembolism (PTE) is a disease with high mortality and morbidity, and a risk of recurrence during clinical course. The aim of the study is to evaluate treatment adherence in PTE patients.

Method: Morisky treatment adherence questionnaire was performed by phone to PTE patients who had been receiving treatment for the last 3 months.

Results: There were 44 (60.3%) female and 29 (39.7%) male. PTE was symptomatic in 76.7% and incidental in 23.3% of the patients. Fifty-three of the patients were using LMWH, 41.1% were receiving rivaroxaban and 5.5% were using warfarin. Sixty patients (82.2%) had high, 8 patients (11%) had intermediate and 5 patients (6.8%) had low adherence. There was no significant difference between genders in terms of having symptomatic or incidental embolism, and treatment adherence. Thirty-eight of the cases (52.1%) were over 65 years old and comorbidities were significantly higher in these patients (p=0.005). There was a significant difference between patients over and under 65 years old in terms of medication used (p=0.009). The most of the patients over 65 years old were using rivaroxaban (55,3%) while there was no patient using warfarin. The mean Morisky questionnaire scores were similar by gender, education level and age limit. However, the mean questionnaire score in symptomatic PTE patients was significantly higher than in incidental PTE cases (p=0,03). Significant differences were also found in symptomatic PTE cases at 2. and 5. questions of questionnaire (p=0.04, p=0.01).

Conclusion: Treatment adherence was found to be lower in patients with incidental PTE and it is thought that treatment compliance should be closely monitored especially in this patient group.