A STUDY ON ASSESSMENT OF MEDICATION ADHERENCE IN HEMODIALYSIS PATIENTS
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Background
Medication adherence is a crucial factor in managing chronic diseases such as chronic kidney disease (CKD), particularly in hemodialysis patients who require complex and lifelong medication regimens. Non-adherence in this population is associated with increased morbidity, hospitalizations, and reduced treatment efficacy. This study aims to assess medication adherence levels, identify key demographic and clinical factors influencing compliance, and evaluate the impact of counseling interventions on adherence behavior.
Methods
A six-month prospective observational study was conducted at BGS Global Hospital, Bangalore, involving 89 hemodialysis patients (61 males, 28 females). The Morisky Green Levine Scale (MGLS ) was used to assess medication adherence before and after structured counseling sessions. Participants were stratified by gender and age groups (18–35, 35–60, and 60–80 years) to analyze adherence patterns. Health-related quality of life (KDQOL) was also evaluated to determine the impact of adherence on patient well-being. Statistical significance was assessed using p-values, with a threshold of p < 0.05 considered significant.
Results
Pre-counseling adherence assessments revealed that only 3.37% of participants were highly adherent, while 80.89% had medium adherence and 15.73% exhibited low adherence. Gender analysis showed that males had slightly higher adherence rates before counseling (4.91%) compared to females (0%), while females had a greater proportion of medium adherence (85.71%). Post-counseling, adherence improved significantly, with high adherence increasing to 39.3% in males and 39.2% in females. Age-based analysis indicated that the 35–60 age group demonstrated the highest adherence rates both before and after counseling, while younger patients ( 18–35 years) had lower baseline adherence but showed significant improvement post-intervention. KDQOL assessments revealed that improved adherence was associated with better quality-of-life scores, particularly among males ( p = 0.217 before counseling, 0.256 after ) and females ( p = 0.060 before, 0.071 after ).
Conclusion
The findings demonstrate that structured counseling interventions significantly improve medication adherence among hemodialysis patients across gender and age groups. Given the chronic nature of hemodialysis treatment, integrating adherence-enhancing strategies into routine patient care is essential to optimize treatment outcomes and improve quality of life. Future research should focus on tailored adherence interventions, incorporating behavioral strategies, digital health tools, and long-term monitoring approaches to sustain adherence improvements over time.
