Medication knowledge and assistance in older chronic heart failure (CHF) patients. Medication adherence is central to the optimal management of CHF. Little is known about older patients’ knowledge of their medications or the factors that contribute to this knowledge.
Aim: To describe and identify the predictors of medication knowledge in older CHF patients.
Method: Subjects (
n
= 62) aged over 55 years with moderate heart failure (New York Heart Association Class II and III) who identified as self-managing were recruited from hospital or rehabilitation.
Interviews occurred at home four weeks post-discharge using a medication checklist and the Self-Efficacy in Chronic Illness Scale (Lorig et al, 2001). Multiple regression analysis determined the predictors of medication knowledge.
Results: Patients were aged mean 78.4 years (sd 8.54 years), mostly male (57%) and had an average 8 (median, range 3–22) medications to take daily, of which 6 (median, range 3–14) were for CHF. Most managed their own medications (54%) but more than a quarter (28%) were assisted by reminding, dispensing and supervision. Compliance with medications was high (84%), although only half (53%) knew the name, main purpose and side effect of their medications. Patients with better self-efficacy (β = 2.88) and no help with medication (β = -21.05) had better medication knowledge (model
F
= 13.6,
p
= .000,
R
= .61,
r
2
= .37).
Conclusion: Older CHF patients have poor knowledge of their medications, which may be improved by promoting overall self-efficacy for disease management. Less knowledgeable patients received appropriate assistance with medications, but the consequence may be less knowledge and thus warrants further investigation.
Post-discharge short message service improves short-term clinical outcome and self-care behaviour in chronic heart failure
