Chronic disease medication management at home: a quantitative survey among 180 patients

Article Figures & Data

Download figure
Open in new tab
Download powerpoint
Figure 1. Age range of study participants
Download figure
Open in new tab
Download powerpoint
Figure 2. Number of pillboxes prescribed (lines of prescription) and pills taken per day
Download figure
Open in new tab
Download powerpoint
Figure 3. Frequency and moments of omissions throughout a day

Table 1. Characteristics of the participating GPs

	Sex	Age	Installation	Type of practice	Area of practice	Chronic disease personally affected	Pillbox use
M1	F	49	2019	MDS	Urban	No
M2	F	39	2019	MDS	Urban	No
M3	M	43	2009	MDS	Rural	Yes	No
M4	M	35	2019	MDS	Urban	No
M5	F	32	2019	MDS	Rural	No
M6	M	60	1992	MDS	Rural	No
M7	M	49	2006	MDS	Rural	No
M8	F	47	2011	MDS	Urban	No
M9	F	38	2016	MDS	Urban	No
M10	F	37	2018	MDS	Rural	No
M11	M	61	1992	CDG	Urban	Yes	Yes
M12	F	53	1998	MDS	Rural	No
M13	M	32	2020	CDG	Rural	Yes	No
M14	F	32	2021	MDS	Urban	No
M15	M	47	2005	CDG	Urban	No
M16	M	31	2020	CDG	Urban	No
M17	M	46	2007	CDG	Urban	No
M18	F	42	2012	CDG	Urban	No
M19	F	42	2010	MDS	Rural	Yes	No
M20	F	36	2021	CDG	Rural	No

Table 2. Characteristics of the participating people with chronic diseases

n = 180	n	%
Sex
Male	86	48
Female	94	52
Age	66.5 years (18;93)
>65 years	114	63
Lifestyle
As a couple or with a family member	133	74
Professional activity	155
Retired	121	67
Employee	21	11
No activity	13	7
Activity before retirement	78
Employee	23	29
Worker	18	23
Managers and professionals	10	13
No activity	11	14
Declared chronic disease
Hypertension	104	58
Type 2 diabetes	45	25
Dyslipidaemia	45	25
Rhythm disorders	41	23
Heart failure	32	18
Depression	27	15
Autoimmune diseases	27	15
Myocardial infarction	18	10
Cancer	18	10
Asthma	16	9
Cerebrovascular accident	16	9

Table 3. Terms of everyday medication management at home

n = 180	n	%
Who collects the medicines from the pharmacy?
The patients themselves	139	77
The spouse	35	19
A family member other than the spouse	15	8
Home delivery by pharmacy	4	2
The nurse	3	1.6
Storage of medicines	n	%
Medicine box	85	47
Plastic box	45	25
Medicine bag (paper or plastic)	20	11
Other: trays, worktop, handbag, drawer	14	8
Drug storage facilities	n	%
Kitchen	78	43
Bathroom	43	24
Living room	25	14
Bedroom	24	13
Cellar	10	5.5
Multiple locations	9	5
Who prepares the medicines?	n	%
The patients themselves	153	85
Spouse	13	7
Nurse	9	5
Family and friends	5	3
Adherence to treatment	n	%
Never forgot to take	70	39
Rarely forgot to take	68	38
Sometimes forgot to take	36	21
Often forgot to take	4	2
Treatment reminder mode	n	%
Out of habit	147	97
Home nurse	5	3
Telephone alarm	4	2
Alarm clock	3	1.6
At mealtime	3	1.6
Telephone application	1	0.5
Frequency of forgetfulness with versus without a pillbox	With versus without	%
Never	27 versus 43	35 versus 42
Rarely	31 versus 37	41 versus 36
Sometimes	16 versus 21	21 versus 20
Often	2 versus 1	3 versus 1
Reported reasons for forgetting medication	Unintentional	Intentional
'I don't like taking pills.'		1
'I'm afraid of the side effects.'		1
'I feel good so I forget.'	1
'Recent change in treatment.'	1
'Memory problems; forgetting to prepare.'	2
'Fatigue.'	9
'Away from home, restaurant; travel.'	25
'Concerns.'	20
'Pace of life (coming home late from work).'	19
'Distractions; pillbox out of sight.'	13
'Aerosols'

SB_10.3399BJGPO.2024.0027.pdf -
Supplementary material is not copyedited or typeset, and is published as supplied by the author(s). The author(s) retain(s) responsibility for its accuracy.