Factors associated with medication adherence in patients with human immunodeficiency virus in South Korea

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.

KEYWORDS:

• HIV
• AIDS
• medication adherence

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.