Barriers to Adherence to Medical Care Programs in Liver Transplant Recipients: A Qualitative Study

Non-adherence to medical care programs in transplant recipients is considered one of the life-threatening factors in transplant recipients, which can prevent achieving the desired levels of health care. To determine perceptions of liver transplant recipients about the barriers to their adherence to medical care programs. This study was conducted based on a qualitative content analysis method using semi-structured interviews with 23 liver transplant recipients, their families, and the transplant teams. A purposive sampling method was used in liver transplant clinics affiliated to Tehran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran, from May to November 2017. Three main categories including factors related to therapeutic problems (educational problems and medication challenges), personal factors (self-management disability), as well as social problems (cultural conditions and passive family) were identified as the barriers to adherence to medical care programs. Paying attention to barriers to adherence to medical care and planning for moderating them in a collaborative effort between transplant recipients and health care providers could increase the likelihood of survival and quality of life in these patients.