Treatment compliance of elderly patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease

Aim. To study the compliance in patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease. Methods. The study included 95 in-patients of pulmonology unit with exacerbation of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, in whom Morisky-Green questionnaire and interviews using modernized questionnaires were used to assess patients’ compliance. Results. The willingness to cooperate with a doctor was shown by 57.9% of patients, and 42.1% showed low motivation. An average compliance index was 2.44±0.16. The number of non-compliant males (61.4%) was 2.4 times higher compared to females (25.5%). Treatment compliance was associated with lower education level: good compliance was shown by 75.0% of patients with secondary education, 63.5% with special secondary education, and only by 50% of patients with higher education. However, among compliant patients with higher education, only 73.3% of patients had partial compliance, compared to 57.6% with special secondary education and 100% - with secondary education. Adherence to treatment in male smokers was 1.6 times lower compared to non-smokers. Patients often associated the omissions of taking medicine with forgetfulness in 37.9% of cases, with inattentive attitude to themselves in 22.1%, with fear of toxic and side effects and the desire to «rest» from treatment in 14.7% of cases. Conclusion. Higher compliance is typical for women more than men; for non-smoker males than smokers. Patients with specialized secondary education showed highest compliance.