Adherence, hypertension

Single adherence question predicts outcome

Journal of Clinical Nursing (2013) doi:10.1111/jocn.12471

Asking heart failure patients a single question about adherence once can predict the incidence of hospitalisation and mortality over the next year, a study found.

Researchers asked 592 heart failure patients (52% male; median age 61 years): 'Over the past seven days, how many times did you miss a dose of any of your heart medication?'. Seventy-two per cent reported not missing any doses. Of the 28% who were not fully adherent, 49% reported missing one dose in the last week, 38% missed two or three doses. The remainder missed at least four doses.