Perceived information needs and non‐adherence: evidence from Greek patients with hypertension

Background  The role of information on patients’ decision to non‐adhere is important, yet not well explored. Objective  To identify differences between perceived information needs for hypertension and medication to treat it, to explore the information channels used by patients and to test what type of information is more important to adhere to medication. Design, setting and participants  A questionnaire study was designed and conducted by telephone in the Centre for the Treatment of Hypertension in Athens, Greece, among 743 individuals. Main variables studied  The main variables included perceived information needs, information channels, non‐adherence to medication and socio‐demographic characteristics. Main outcome measures  Non‐adherence to medication was measured using the Morisky scale. Results  Patients reported feeling better informed about hypertension (90%) than medication to treat it (80%). The doctor remains the dominant information source, while the Media and magazines on health issues were reported more frequently than the family and the pharmacist. Feeling well informed about medication for hypertension was a predictor of better adherence. Other determinants of adherence were the use of the Internet and the Media. Discussion  The results confirm the importance of patients leaving the consultation feeling well informed about their medication as this improves adherence. They also show that the use of the Internet and the Media can be beneficial for adherence. Conclusions  Given the restricted time the doctor can usually spend with the patient, it is important to know that more emphasis on the information regarding medication is important.