Effect of post– discharge telephone follow-up on medication adherence in patients with coronary angioplasty

This study aimed to examine the effect of education about anti-platelet drugs consumption through telephone follow-up on medication adherence in patients with coronary angioplasty.

Regarding the necessity of proper use of antiplatelet drugs after coronary angioplasty, adherence to treatment is of great importance, and it is considered as one of the major concerns.

This quasi-experimental study was conducted on 392 patients with percutaneous coronary intervention. The patients were divided into two experimental (telephone fallow-up) and control (without telephone fallow-up) group for one year. Adherence to treatment was assessed using the Morisky Medication Adherence Scale before and after percutaneous coronary intervention. Data were analyzed using t-test, chi-square and linear regression model in SPSS software.

The mean age of patients was 61.71±10.28 years in the experimental group and 60.72±11.14 years in the control group. Changes in the mean score of medication adherence was 53.09±1.37 in the experimental group and 18.09±1.30 in the control group, indicating a statistically significant increase in medication adherence in the experimental group compared with the control group (P=0.001). Non-use of anticoagulants in the experimental group increased until the end of the sixth month of telephone follow-up and then, decreased until the end of the twelfth month of follow-up.

Since changes in the mean score of adherence to medication in the experimental and control groups was significant, it is recommended that follow-up interventions in patients be continued continuously for at least one year.