Effects of medication perceptions of patient who take the disease modifying antı-rheumatic drugs in rheumatic disease on adherence

This is a descriptive study and was performed to the effects of medicationperceptions of patient who take the disease modifying antı- rheumatic drugs in rheumaticdisease on adherence.The study sample included 300 patients, aged 18 years or over, presenting to theOutpatient Clinic of Rheumatology in the Department of Internal Diseases and receivingdisease modifying antirheumatic drugs for at least three months. Data were collected with aquestionnaire developed by the researcher. The questionnaire was composed of questionsabout general characteristics (age, gender, education, employment, marital status andhealth insurance), disease characteristics (diagnosis, duration of disease, and other chronicdiseases), treatment given (drugs used and duration of treatment), adherence to treatmentand perceptions regarding the treatment. Data about general characteristics, diseasecharacteristics and treatment were analyzed with numbers and percentages and perceptionsregarding treatment and data about the effects of the perceptions on adherence to treatmentwere analyzed with t test.The mean score for adherence to treatment was 7.85 ± 2.28. According to theresults of the study, perception of effecting the daily life because of using the medicine allthe time, perceptions of adverse effect the medicine, perceptions of being addict don?teffect the adherence rate to medication. In addition, adherence to treatment was influencedby the following perceptions: ?It is necessary to receive disease modifying antirheumaticdrugs, ?the drugs used decrease complaints and are useful, regular drug use preventsdisease progression and perception of overcoming with adverse effect.In the light of the results of this study, it can be recommended that patients? andtheir families? perceptions concerning treatment should be evaluated, that patients and theirfamilies should be offered information appropriate for their needs-about the patients?disease and the drugs they are given-and that qualitative studies about factors influencingadherence to treatment should be conducted.Key Words: Adherence, compliance, beliefs about treatment, perceptions oftreatment, adherence to treatment, adherence to treatment and nursing, disease modifyingantirheumatic drugs.