Positive expectations by patients improve RA treatment adherence

Patients with rheumatoid arthritis are much more likely to adhere to treatment if they experience independence through information-seeking behavior and have positive expectations about the course of their treatment, according to results.

Researchers interviewed 259 adult patients who were recently diagnosed with rheumatoid arthritis (RA) and started on synthetic disease-modifying antirheumatic drugs to identify potential adherence predictors, including coping with pain and the disease, anxiety and depression, and beliefs and expectations about medication. Researchers continuously measured adherence within the first 3 months of treatment.

Results showed adherence started high but declined during 3 months of follow-up. Of 15 factors that could potentially influence adherence, researchers found patients seeking information and having positive expectations about their disease were significantly associated with adherence. However, adjusting to the pain was associated with nonadherence, according to results.

“In our study looking at what kind of factors are important in adherence of treatment for RA, we found that … a positive attitude is associated with good adherence,” Johanna M. Hazes, MD, PhD, of the Erasmus Medical Centre in Rotterdam, the Netherlands, said at the EULAR Annual Congress. “To the contrary, those patients who have an attitude of … avoiding pain or slowing down or dividing their energy, that is associated with lower adherence to medication.”

She added, “In practice, it is important to encourage patients to be active, to have an active attitude toward the disease, to seek information and … empower self-management for patients, and that will have a better outcome and lower cost.” – by Casey Tingle

Reference:

Pasma A, et al. Paper #OP0197-HPR. Presented at: EULAR Annual Congress; June 8-11, 2016; London.

Disclosure: Hazes reports no relevant financial disclosures.