An advocacy based cross sectional study of healthcare professionals of factors impacting on medication adherence across nine Sub-Saharan African countries.

Autor: Sotiropoulou N; Queen's University of Belfast, UK., Kinney M; Queen's University of Belfast, UK; Belfast Health and Social Care Trust, UK., Olaniyan T; Pretola Global Health & Consulting, UK; Medical Assistance, Sierra Leone., Salako K; University of Lagos, Nigeria., Akinola S; Edward Francis Small Teaching Hospital, Gambia., Chikasama M; Cure International, Uganda., Ngobeh F; Connaught Hospital, Sierra Leone., Sipilon M; Kajiado County Government Hospital, Kenya., Kumenda M; Queen Elizabeth Central Hospital, Malawi., Shabangu E; Mbabane Government Hospital, Swaziland., Laugharne R; Cornwall Partnership NHS Foundation Trust, UK; Peninsula School of Medicine, University of Plymouth, UK., Shankar R; Cornwall Partnership NHS Foundation Trust, UK; Peninsula School of Medicine, University of Plymouth, UK. Electronic address: rohit.shankar@plymouth.ac.uk.
Jazyk: angličtina
Zdroj: Epilepsy research [Epilepsy Res] 2024 Dec; Vol. 208, pp. 107459. Date of Electronic Publication: 2024 Oct 18.
DOI: 10.1016/j.eplepsyres.2024.107459
Abstrakt: Background: Adherence to anti-seizure medication (ASM) by people diagnosed with epilepsy in sub-Saharan Africa remains low. The factors for low adherence are not well understood. To improve adherence, it is important to understand the perceptions and views of healthcare professionals delivering epilepsy care to this population. The aim was to investigate the factors influencing ASM adherence.
Methods: This study uses a brief online questionnaire which asked healthcare professionals (both from nursing and medical backgrounds) who work in sub-Saharan African countries to rate a set of pre-established options designed with the feedback of a local focus group of epilepsy experts from countries targeted. The questionnaire consisted of six questions and was a mix of multiple choice and Likert scale questions.
Results: There were 217 healthcare professionals who replied to the questionnaire. The most important factors believed to be influencing adherence from a healthcare professional perspective are; lack of availability of medication for epilepsy (71 %), affordability of medication (60 %), the patient, family, carer lacking in understanding of medication (43 %), cultural misconceptions about epilepsy (40 %) and side effects of the medication (32 %). The survey was answered by many different healthcare professionals; 65 participants were doctors and 152 were other healthcare professionals such as nurses (59 %) pharmacists (10 %) and when comparing them, the three most important categories were consistent across groups.
Conclusion: Healthcare workers in Sub-Saharan Africa identify that the primary factors impacting adherence to ASMs, in their view, is affordability and availability of ASMs.Addressing this issue may reduce the treatment gap.
Competing Interests: Conflict of Interest Tolu Olaniyan is the CEO of Pretola Global Health & Consulting Ltd (GHC) which runs commercial awareness courses on epilepsy and mental health matters. MK has received honoraria to provide talks to peer audiences and for conference travel from UCB, Eisai and Angelini Pharma. RS has received institutional research, travel support and/or honorarium for talks and expert advisory boards from LivaNova, UCB, Eisai, Veriton Pharma, Bial, Angelini, UnEEG and Jazz/GW pharma outside the submitted work. He holds or has held competitive grants from various national grant bodies including Innovate, Economic and Social Research Council (ESRC), Engineering and Physical Sciences Research Council (ESPRC), National Institute of Health Research (NIHR), NHS Small Business Research Initiative (SBRI) and other funding bodies including charities all outside this work. No other author has any declared conflict of interest related to this paper.
(Copyright © 2024 The Authors. Published by Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.)
Databáze: MEDLINE
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