A close collaboration between doctor and patient is essential for optimization of treatment outcomes in patients with chronic disease. Nonadherence to disease-modifying antirheumatic drugs (DMARDs) in rheumatoid arthritis (RA) may contribute to treatment failure and result in loss of joint function. The aim of the study was to evaluate adherence to prescribed drug therapy by patients with RA 6 months after hospital discharge. The influence of age, sex, level of education and DAS28 score on compliance with treatment regimen was also evaluated. MATERIALS AND METHODS. A telephone survey was conducted using a questionnaire. The survey involved 146 randomly selected patients who were previously treated at the Department of Rheumatology for worsening of rheumatoid arthritis.
Results: Most of the patients gave their consent for participation in the survey. 113 (82.5%) of the respondents reported good compliance /adherence with the DMARD treatment regimen. 24 (17.5%) of the patients did not take prescribed medications, primarily due to adverse side effects and, less commonly, due to ineffective treatment or lack of clinical symptoms, and also for financial reasons. Age, sex, level of education and DAS28 score did not significantly influence medication adherence.
Conclusions: Most of the patients treated for RA are followed up at rheumatology outpatient clinics and they continue treatment with DMARDs after discharge from hospital. Adverse side effects are the main cause of a change or discontinuation of the treatment.