Background: The aims of the cross-sectional study were to measure the extent of adherence to prescribed medications among patients affected by chronic diseases and to identify the predictors of the adherence.
Methods: The study was conducted between March and December 2014 among 633 outpatients in four hospitals in Italy. Data were collected using a face to face interview at the time of their visit to the hospital. The Morisky Medication Adherence 4-item Scale was used to measure patients' self-reported adherence.
Results: The majority of the patients were male (51.7%), the mean age was 63.2 years, one-third had at least a high school diploma or equivalent, 34.6% was employed, and the main diseases were hypertension, diabetes, and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease. A total of 39.3% patients reported themselves as being adherent to medications over the 4 weeks preceding their medical specialist's visit. Patients were more likely to adhere to medications if they had a college degree or higher level of education, a higher score of the Katz index, took a lower number of total pills per day, and did not use pill organizers. Patients who have never forgotten to take medications over the 4 weeks preceding their medical specialist's visit were 46.1%.
Conclusions: The findings emphasize the need for improving information for the individuals affected by chronic diseases concerning the risks of non-adherence in order to encourage responsible behaviour to prescribed medications.
© The Author 2015. Published by Oxford University Press on behalf of the European Public Health Association. All rights reserved.