Patient Preference and Adherence (Oct 2022)

Follow-Up Factors Contribute to Immunosuppressant Adherence in Kidney Transplant Recipients

  • Chen T,
  • Wang Y,
  • Tian D,
  • Zhang J,
  • Xu Q,
  • Lv Q,
  • Li X,
  • Wang J

Journal volume & issue
Vol. Volume 16
pp. 2811 – 2819

Abstract

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Tingting Chen,1 Yuzhu Wang,1 Dan Tian,1 Jieqing Zhang,1 Qing Xu,1 Qianzhou Lv,1 Xiaoyu Li,1 Jina Wang2,3 1Department of Pharmacy, ZhongShan Hospital, Fudan University, Shanghai, People’s Republic of China; 2Department of Urology, Zhongshan Hospital, Fudan University, Shanghai, People’s Republic of China; 3Shanghai Key Laboratory of Organ Transplantation, Shanghai, People’s Republic of ChinaCorrespondence: Xiaoyu Li, Department of Pharmacy, Zhongshan Hospital, Fudan University, No. 180, Fenglin Road, Xuhui, Shanghai, People’s Republic of China, Email [email protected] Jina Wang, Department of Urology, Zhongshan Hospital, Fudan University, Shanghai Key Laboratory of Organ Transplantation, No. 180, Fenglin Road, Xuhui, Shanghai, People’s Republic of China, Email [email protected]: Follow-up and immunosuppressive medication (ISM) adherence are both important for kidney transplant recipients postoperatively and whether follow-up factors affect the ISM adherence remains unclear. The aim of this study was to examine the relationship between follow-up factors and ISM adherence, and the factors associated with ISM adherence.Patients and Methods: An internet-based cross-sectional survey was conducted in a single kidney transplant center in China. The participants completed the internet-based questionnaire and the Basel Assessment of Adherence to Immunosuppressive Medication Scale (BAASIS©) from January 12 to January 26, 2021.Results: Finally, 288 (66.7%) participants responded to this survey. The percentage of full adherence to immunosuppressant was 51.7% (149/288), with 33.3% of the participants reporting a problem in timing dimension. We found that follow-up with a fixed doctor was significantly positive to good adherence (OR=2.124, 95% CI=1.111– 4.062, P=0.023) after analyzing the survey data. Time since kidney transplantation and number of non-immunosuppressants were both associated with immunosuppressant adherence. No significant difference was found regarding the effect of the follow-up adherence on ISM adherence.Conclusion: Our study demonstrated an insufficient prevalence of adherence to immunosuppressant in Chinese renal transplant recipients and revealed that follow-up with a fixed doctor may be a way to improve the patients’ ISM adherence. This anonymous internet-based survey provides valuable insight into the actual adherence rate, factors associated with non-adherence, and situations that may improve medication-taking.Keywords: immunosuppressive medication, medication adherence, follow-up, internet-based survey, kidney transplantation

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