Factors affecting medication adherence in rheumatoid arthritis at a tertiary care teaching hospital in South India

Abstract

This study was conducted to evaluate the Factors Affecting Medication Adherence in patients suffering from Rheumatoid Arthritis. The study included 135 patients who came to the Rheumatology department and were diagnosed with Rheumatoid Arthritis. The study was conducted from May 2023 to November 2023. Male and female subjects, aged ?18 years, and diagnosed with RA were included in the study. Demographic data, disease- and treatment-related data, adverse event profile and investigation data were obtained from all the participants. Among 135 patients 26 patients were adherent to their medications and 109 patients were non-adherent to the medications. The success of the treatment of Rheumatoid arthritis depends both on patient compliance and treatment efficacy. Improving adherence to therapy could therefore dramatically improve the efficacy of drug therapy. Increased knowledge of the impact of therapeutic adherence of patients with RA and identification of possible predictors of adherence will allow to develop strategies to promote adherence. Upper lower-class patients were found to be significant with the medication adherence.