Health
Patients who trust their doctors are more likely to take their meds
NEWS IN BRIEF — Posted Aug. 22, 2005
Those on expensive medications are more likely to stick to their regimens -- despite the cost -- if they trust their physicians, according to a study published in the August Archives of Internal Medicine.
Researchers at the University of Michigan Health System, Ann Arbor, surveyed 912 diabetic patients receiving care from five Veterans Affairs health systems. Patients with higher out-of-pocket costs were more likely to forgo spending money on prescription drugs when trust in their doctors was low. Depression also was associated with lower levels of medication adherence related to cost.
Authors of the paper suggest that addressing these factors could reduce barriers to medication adherence related to finances.
"We need to understand better how chronically ill patients cope with their drug costs," said John Piette, PhD, lead author and associate professor of general medicine. "We know that cost alone makes a big difference to people, but it's not the only factor."
Note: This item originally appeared at http://www.ama-assn.org/amednews/2005/08/22/hlbf0822.htm.
