Data on Hypertension Detailed by Researchers at Yonsei University (Assessment of a Medication Management Program Targeting Hypertension and Diabetes Patients: Impact On Medication Adherence): Cardiovascular Diseases and Conditions – Hypertension

2021 DEC 29 (NewsRx) -- By a News Reporter-Staff News Editor at NewsRx Cardiovascular Daily -- Investigators publish new report on Cardiovascular Diseases and Conditions - Hypertension. According to news reporting originating in Incheon, South Korea, by NewsRx journalists, research stated, “The National Health Insurance Service in South Korea has conducted a telephone outreach program to improve medication adherence for hypertension and diabetes patients since 2014. To evaluate the direct outcomes of the program.”

The news reporters obtained a quote from the research from Yonsei University, “Patients were identified among those who visited an outpatient clinic at least twice or used an inpatient service at least once for hypertension or diabetes during 6-month intervals and who were nonadherent based on the proportion of days covered (PDC) calculated. As a preliminary intervention, participants were mailed an information leaflet on their own medication adherence and other tips for effective self-management of chronic diseases. For the intervention, two phone calls and three phone messages were made to patients by 24 participating regional offices. Ultimately, 2,428 hypertension patients and 884 diabetes patients received the intervention. Propensity matching was used based on age, sex, and the Charlson Comorbidity Index to select 12,140 hypertension and 4,420 diabetes patients as controls in the non-participating regions. The outcome was PDC. Multivariate ordinary least squares or logistic regression analysis were used with difference-in-difference specification. The adjusted quarterly PDC increased by 1.96%p for hypertension (p = 0.023) and by 7.79%p for diabetes patients (p < 0.001). Approximately 40.6% and 51.7% of hypertension and diabetes patients in the treatment arm (p = 0.0069) became adherent after the intervention, whereas the corresponding proportions were 37.7% and 41.4% (p < 0.001) in the control group. Both treatment groups showed a higher likelihood of good medication adherence (hypertension: odds ratio = 1.157, 95% CI [1.058, 1.265]; diabetes: odds ratio = 1.532, 95% CI [1.323, 1.774]). The control group, who received only a print intervention with a mailed leaflet, also showed a dramatic increase in medication adherence.”

According to the news reporters, the research concluded: “An insurer-coordinated telephone-administered program resulted in improvement of medication adherence among patients with hypertension and diabetes.”

This research has been peer-reviewed.

For more information on this research see: Assessment of a Medication Management Program Targeting Hypertension and Diabetes Patients: Impact On Medication Adherence. Research in Social and Administrative Pharmacy, 2021;17(2):419-427. Research in Social and Administrative Pharmacy can be contacted at: Elsevier Science Inc, Ste 800, 230 Park Ave, New York, NY 10169, USA. (Elsevier - www.elsevier.com; Research in Social and Administrative Pharmacy - http://www.journals.elsevier.com/research-in-social-and-administrative-pharmacy/)

Our news correspondents report that additional information may be obtained by contacting Euna Han, Yonsei University, College of Pharmacy, Yonsei Institute of Pharmaceutical Sciences, 162-1 Songdo Dong, Incheon 28560, South Korea. Additional authors for this research include Sunmee Jang, Hye-Min Cho, Cinoo Kang, Hyun Soon Sohn and Ju-Yeun Lee.

The direct object identifier (DOI) for that additional information is: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.sapharm.2020.03.002. This DOI is a link to an online electronic document that is either free or for purchase, and can be your direct source for a journal article and its citation.

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