Medication Adherence and Its Influencing Factors in Postoperative Thyroid Cancer Patients: A Cross-Sectional Study

TL;DR

This study examines medication adherence in Chinese thyroid cancer patients after surgery and identifies factors that influence it.

Contribution

The study identifies self-efficacy, education level, and disease duration as key factors influencing medication adherence in postoperative thyroid cancer patients.

Findings

Medication adherence in postoperative thyroid cancer patients is at an intermediate level (6.25 ± 1.57).

Rational medication self-efficacy is strongly positively correlated with medication adherence (r = 0.536).

Education level, disease duration, and self-efficacy are the main factors affecting medication adherence.

Abstract

Background: Medication adherence is critical for the recovery of patients after thyroid cancer surgery. Therefore, this study investigated the current medication adherence status in Chinese postoperative thyroid cancer patients and analysed the influencing factors.

Methods: A cross-sectional descriptive survey of postoperative thyroid cancer patients at a tertiary-level hospital in Shandong Province, China, from January to June 2019 was conducted, and 266 postoperative thyroid cancer patients were included. The patient's medication adherence was assessed with the Chinese version of the Morrissey Medication Adherence Scale, and the related influencing factors were measured with the General Information Questionnaire and the Rational Medication Self-Efficacy Scale. Finally, factors associated with medication adherence were explored using multiple linear regression analysis.

Results: The medication adherence for postoperative thyroid cancer patients is at an intermediate level with a score of (6.25 ± 1.57). Patients' rational medication self-efficacy was positively correlated with medication adherence, with a correlation coefficient (r) of 0.536 (p < 0.001). Multiple linear regression analyses revealed that education level, disease duration and self-efficacy for rational medication use were the main factors affecting medication adherence in postoperative thyroid cancer patients.

Conclusion: Improving patients' self-efficacy in rational medication and strengthening patients' health education are important ways to enhance patients' medication adherence.