TY  - JOUR
T1  - Medication Adherence in Older Clinic Patients with Hypertension after Hurricane Katrina: Implications for Clinical Practice and Disaster Management
A1  - Krousel-Wood, MA
LA  - English
YR  - 2008
UL  - http://buscaintegrada.pucsp.br/vufind/Record/pubmed-2561300
AB  - BACKGROUND: In post-disaster situations, additional barriers may reduce antihypertensive medication adherence. METHODS: Between November 2005 and August 2006, 210 hypertensive patients receiving care at a multispecialty group practice in New Orleans completed a structured questionnaire. Antihypertensive medication adherence was measured with the Hill-Bone medication compliance subscale. In a subset of patients, data on difficulties patients encountered with blood pressure medications in the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina were collected. RESULTS: Seventy-six percent of patients reported damage to their residence and 46 % of patients had less-than-perfect medication adherence. After multivariate adjustment, less than perfect medication adherence post disaster was more common among people age <65 years (prevalence ratio = 1.37; 95% CI: 1.03 – 1.82) and nonwhites (1.32; 95% CI: 1.02– 1.71). Uncontrolled blood pressure (systolic/diastolic ≥140/≥90 mm Hg) was more common in those with less-than-perfect adherence than their counterparts with perfect adherence (51% versus 42 %, respectively). In addition, 7% of patients reported not bringing their blood pressure medications when they evacuated, 28% ran out of blood pressure medications, 16% reported difficulties getting medications filled, and 28% reported a blood pressure medication change post-disaster. CONCLUSIONS: Opportunities exist to improve disaster planning and prescription refill processes and increase medication adherence and hypertension control post-disasters.
KW  - Article
ER  -