ABSTRACT
This study aimed to identify the factors associated with medication adherence in human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) patients in South Korea. A cross-sectional study was conducted from six hospitals participating in the Nationwide Specialized Counseling Program for HIV infected patients from 22 February to 10 May 2010. A total of 300 HIV patients have completed a self–administered questionnaire. Among 300 patients, 230 patients had above 95% medication adherence. Binary logistic regression analysis revealed that having medical insurance (p = .003) and a good relationship with the medical team (p = .046) were the main factors affecting medication adherence in HIV patients. In conclusion, medical insurance through the National Health Insurance Service and a good relationship between HIV infected patients and physicians are the main influencing factors that impact medication adherence in countries with low economic barriers to treatment.
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Acknowledgements
We are grateful to the survey respondents and nurse counselors in the Nationwide Specialized Counseling Program for HIV/AIDS patients.
Disclosure statement
No potential conflict of interest was reported by the authors.