Concept analysis of adherence to treatment in heart failure patients

The purpose of this study was to explore and clarify the concept of adherence to treatment in people with heart failure. Background. The concept of adherence to treatment, which determines the consequences of heart failure, is widely used in the literature. But this concept is very complex and needs a clear definition.

In this study, the evolutionary approach of Rogers concept analysis was used. The main criteria for entry were texts published in English between 2004 and 2019. The data sources were the PubMed, Scopus, and EMBASE. A total of 73 articles were found out of which 37 articles were selected after omitting duplications, and after screening the studies based on Prism Diagram, 35 articles were studied.

After reviewing the studies, 5 words, adherence to medication, medication adherence, non-medication adherence or self-care recommendations, adherence to therapeutic guidelines, and non- adherence treatment were recognized as alternative terms, and two concepts, compliance and self-care were identified as the most important and the most common concepts related to adherence to treatment. Seven concepts were found as the features of the adherence to treatment (adaptability, being multidimensional and complex, participatory, dependent on demographic variables and underlying diseases, being conscious and dependent on education, measurable and predictive, and continuous and follow-up). Outcomes of the concept of adherence to treatment were directly related to the consequences of the concept.

Adherence to treatment is a complex, multidimensional, participatory, conscious, and measurable concept that depends on demographic variables that must be constantly monitored by the health care team. Adherence to treatment is evolving over time, both semantically and conceptually.