Understanding barriers and facilitators to clinic attendance and medication adherence among adults with hypertensive urgency in Tanzania.

TitleUnderstanding barriers and facilitators to clinic attendance and medication adherence among adults with hypertensive urgency in Tanzania.
Publication TypeJournal Article
Year of Publication2022
AuthorsKisigo GA, Mcharo OC, Robert JL, Peck RN, Sundararajan R, Okello ES
JournalPLOS Glob Public Health
Volume2
Issue8
Paginatione0000919
Date Published2022
ISSN2767-3375
Abstract

Hypertensive urgency is a major risk factor for cardiovascular events and premature deaths. Lack of medication adherence is associated with poor health outcomes among patients with hypertensive urgency in resource-limited settings. To inform the development of tailored interventions to improve health outcomes in this population, this study aimed at understanding facilitators and barriers to clinic attendance and medication adherence among Tanzanian adults with hypertensive urgency. We conducted in-depth interviews with 38 purposively selected participants from three groups: 1) patients with hypertension attending hypertension clinic, 2) patients with hypertension not attending hypertension clinic, and 3) clinic health workers. Interviews were conducted using a semi-structured guide which included open-ended questions with prompts to encourage detailed responses. In their narrative, patients and healthcare workers discussed 21 types of barriers/facilitators to clinic attendance and medication adherence: 12 common to both behaviors (traditional medicine, knowledge and awareness, stigma, social support, insurance, reminder cues, symptoms, self-efficacy, peer support, specialized care, social services, religious beliefs); 6 distinct to clinic attendance (transport, clinic location, appointment, patient-provider interaction, service fragmentation, quality of care); and 3 distinct to medication adherence (drug stock, side effects, medicine beliefs). The majority of identified barriers/facilitators overlap between clinic attendance and medication adherence. The identified barriers may be surmountable using tailored supportive intervention approaches, such as peer counselors, to help patients overcome social challenges of clinic attendance and medication adherence.

DOI10.1371/journal.pgph.0000919
Alternate JournalPLOS Glob Public Health
PubMed ID36962785
PubMed Central IDPMC10021323
Grant ListD43 TW011826 / TW / FIC NIH HHS / United States