Determining the degree of adherence to treatment in inflammatory bowel disease patients.

AIM

Since the inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) is a disorder which requires continuous drug intake to induce and maintain the remission phase, finding the barriers for low adherent group, may improve the disease phase and quality of life in those patients.

BACKGROUND

IBD is defined as a chronic immune disorder with unpredictable flares. The common treatment of these diseases can be effective for inducing and maintaining remission courses. Therefore the use of long-term medication therapy is the crucial key to prevent surgery and complications in patients with IBD.

METHODS

Morisky Medication Adherence Scales (MMAS) is used for detecting level of adherence to the medicines for 137 patients with IBD. Demographic and clinical data are recorded for all patients and quality of life has been evaluated by Short-Form 36 questionnaire in 55 patients.

RESULTS

Demographic and clinical features showed no correlation with the degree of adherence. The MMAS-8 score in the low adherent group significantly different than that in the medium and high adherer group. No relation was found statistically between level of adherence and mental or physical sates ( value=0.17, 1.2) and total quality of life ( value=0.22) in patients with IBD.

CONCLUSION

Designing smart reminder and the physician's explain about adverse effects and beneficial of medicines may be effective to confront with forgetfulness and feeling comfort with treatment. Improve a strategy in order to regular measurement of adherence to medication, provides enough information about stop taking medication.