# Assessment of Medication Compliance and Follow-Up Clinic Attendance Among Patients With Cardiovascular Diseases in the Jazan Region

## TL;DR

This study examines medication and clinic adherence among cardiovascular patients in Saudi Arabia's Jazan region, finding generally good compliance but some issues among non-Saudi patients.

## Contribution

The study provides region-specific insights into medication and follow-up adherence for cardiovascular patients in Jazan, Saudi Arabia.

## Key findings

- About 56% of patients had no difficulty remembering their medications.
- 79.6% of patients had good appointment adherence.
- Poor adherence was more common among non-Saudi patients.

## Abstract

Background and aim: Cardiovascular diseases are common causes of mortality in Saudi Arabia and the world. This study aims to assess medication compliance and regularity of follow-up for cardiovascular patients in the Jazan region.

Methodology: An analytical cross-sectional approach was used to target all registered cardiovascular patients attending the cardio clinic in a Jazan region hospital. Data were collected using an interview questionnaire developed by the researchers with the help of experts. The questionnaire included the patients’ sociodemographic data, clinical characteristics, disease-related data, drugs, and appointments.

Results: The study included 259 patients diagnosed with cardiac disease. About 53.7% of the patients were males. All the cases had the disease for one year or more. About 56% of the patients had no difficulty remembering their medications, while 44% had problems remembering to take them. More than half of the patients had good medication adherence, and 79.6% had good appointment adherence. Only 20.4% of patients had a poor adherence rate.

Conclusion and recommendations: The adherence rate for the patients’ medication and appointments was satisfactory due to high patient awareness. On the other hand, poor adherence was related more to non-Saudi patients.