Self-Reported Medication Adherence Among Older People Admitted to Hospital: A Descriptive Study

Abstract

Abstract Background Poor medication adherence is prevalent among older people. To optimize therapeutic outcomes, it is crucial to understand the underlying causes and perceptions. Objective We aimed to investigate the extent of self-reported medication adherence and associated factors among older people admitted to hospital. Methods Individuals living at home aged ≥ 75 years with an emergency admission at a university hospital between September 2018 and September 2021 were included. Participants answered the Medication Adherence Report Scale (MARS-5) questionnaire upon admission regarding their prescribed long-term medications. Participants with a MARS-5 score of 23–25 were defined as adherent and with a score of 5–22 as nonadherent. A multivariable logistic regression analysis was performed to investigate possible factors independently associated with self-reported medication adherence. Results A total of 261 individuals were included. The mean age was 84 years (standard deviation 5.7) and the mean MARS-5 score was 23.9 (standard deviation 1.8). Overall, 227 (87%) participants were classified as adherent to their prescribed treatment, while 34 (13%) participants were classified as nonadherent. Participants with cognitive impairment (odds ratio = 0.40, 95% confidence interval 0.18–0.90, p = 0.027) and depression (odds ratio = 0.29, 95% confidence interval 0.10–0.87, p = 0.028) had a lower odds of reporting adherence to their medications. Conclusions The majority of individuals aged ≥ 75 years who were recently hospitalized rated themselves as adherent to their prescribed medications according to MARS-5. Future studies would benefit from adding more possible explanatory factors and combining a self-reported assessment with a more objective measurement of medication adherence.