Abstract
Funding Acknowledgements
Type of funding sources: None. Main funding source(s): Researcher
Introduction
Anticoagulant drugs are quite narrow in their therapeutic range, which should be closely monitored throughout the treatment. In addition to monitoring the responses to the drug in patients who are taking anticoagulant medication, informing the patient and his family is one of the important responsibilities of the nurse within the scope of the counseling and training roles.
Aim
The aim of this comparative study is to investigate the factors affecting drug compliance in young adult (18-65 years) and elderly (over 65 years) patients who using anticoagulant drugs.
Method
This research was carried out descriptively and cross-sectionally in a public hospital between October 1 and December 31, 2018, and was conducted with 100 patients in Cardiovascular Surgery and Cardiology outpatient clinics and clinics. Research data was obtained by; Patient Information Form (55 questions) and Morisky Medication Adherence Scale (9 questions).
Results
56% of the patients were female and 44% were male, the mean age of the patients was 63.3 ± 14.67 years. The mean scale score of young adult patients was 5.41 ± 2.44 (compatible) and the mean scale score of elderly patients was found to be 8.95 ± 2.21 (incompatible). 48.2% of the female patients and 54.5% of the male patients were found to be compatible with the treatment. When the relationship between the knowledge level of anticoagulant drugs and their compliance with the treatment according to age group is evaluated; patients in all age groups who expressed their own level of knowledge inadequately, were found to be incompatible with treatment. 46.2% of young adult patients who stated that they had hospitalization due to the drug and 64.3% of young adult patients who stated that they applied to the emergency department, were highly compatible; 93.8% of elderly patients who stated that they had hospitalized and 88.6% of the elderly patients who stated that they applied to the emergency department, had a low compliance. (p ˂0,05)
Conclusions and Recommendations: Many factors such as age, education, other people who they live together, level of knowledge about anticoagulant medication, forgetting to use the drug, thinking the treatment damages themselves or not wanting the treatment, carrying information about medication beside themselves and using other medications without asking a doctor were found as many cases which affect the compliance with the treatment. It was found that compliance with treatment in older patients was found to be more incompatible with treatment compared to young adult patients. It is recommended that healthcare professionals in healthcare environments in our country specialize in anticoagulant therapy management and establish certification programs. It is suggested to provide effective continuity of these programs by planning trainings for patients receiving anticoagulant therapy by specialized healthcare professionals.
Factors influencing adherence to medication in patients using anticoagulant drug
