Factors Associated with Medication Adherence among the Elderly with Chronic Multimorbidity

Introduction : Medication adherence is a key healthcare issue in the elderly and a challenging factor influencing the success of treatment. The present study aimed to determine the factors associated with medication adherence in the elderly with chronic multimorbidity. Materials and Methods The present study was descriptive-analytical and examined 800 elderly people using multi-stage random sampling method. The research collected data using a demographic questionnaire, a standard questionnaire on medication adherence in chronic diseases, and standard questionnaires on patient satisfaction with physician communication, which were completed via interviews and self-report. In present study, the elderly were classified into three groups based on having chronic diseases: people with a chronic disease, people with two chronic diseases, and people with three chronic diseases and more. SPSS24 was used for data analysis. Results The research results indicated that 426 individuals (53%) had two diseases, and 199 individuals (25%) had three diseases and more. Diabetes had the highest frequency (25%). The mean score of medication adherence of the elderly was 105.5 (± 49.04), and the mean score of the elderly's satisfaction with the physician’s communication was 66.48 (± 11). In the elderly with three or more diseases, a one-unit increase in satisfaction with the physician’s communication, medication adherence rate increased by 0.04 units. Conclusion It is suggested to implement new and innovative intervention strategies to improve health literacy, medication adherence, and adherence monitoring methods to better manage diseases in the elderly with chronic multimorbidity.