Association Between Patient-Clinician Relationships and Adherence to Antihypertensive Medications Among Black Adults: An Observational Study Design

• Published in: Journal of the American Heart Association 2021-07, Vol.10 (14), p.e019943-e019943
• Main Authors: Chang, Teng-Jen, Bridges, John F P, Bynum, Mary, Jackson, John W, Joseph, Joshua J, Fischer, Michael A, Lu, Bo, Donneyong, Macarius M
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Adolescent; Adult; African Americans - statistics & numerical data; Aged; Aged, 80 and over; Antihypertensive Agents - therapeutic use; Communication; Decision Making, Shared; Female; Humans; Hypertension - drug therapy; Hypertension - psychology; Male; Medication Adherence - psychology; Medication Adherence - statistics & numerical data; Middle Aged; Original Research; Professional-Patient Relations; Retrospective Studies; Self Report; Young Adult
• ISSN: 2047-9980; 2047-9980
• DOI: 10.1161/jaha.120.019943

Background We assessed the associations between patient-clinician relationships (communication and involvement in shared decision-making [SDM]) and adherence to antihypertensive medications. Methods and Results The 2010 to 2017 Medical Expenditure Panel Survey (MEPS) data were analyzed. A retrospective cohort study design was used to create a cohort of prevalent and new users of antihypertensive medications. We defined constructs of patient-clinician communication and involvement in SDM from patient responses to the standard questionnaires about satisfaction and access to care during the first year of surveys. Verified self-reported medication refill information collected during the second year of surveys was used to calculate medication refill adherence; adherence was defined as medication refill adherence ≥80%. Survey-weighted multivariable-adjusted logistic regression models were used to measure the odds ratio (OR) and 95% CI for the association between both patient-clinician constructs and adherence. Our analysis involved 2571 Black adult patients with hypertension (mean age of 58 years; SD, 14 years) who were either persistent (n=1788) or new users (n=783) of antihypertensive medications. Forty-five percent (n=1145) and 43% (n=1016) of the sample reported having high levels of communication and involvement in SDM, respectively. High, versus low, patient-clinician communication (OR, 1.38; 95% CI, 1.14-1.67) and involvement in SDM (OR, 1.32; 95% CI, 1.08-1.61) were both associated with adherence to antihypertensives after adjusting for multiple covariates. These associations persisted among a subgroup of new users of antihypertensive medications. Conclusions Patient-clinician communication and involvement in SDM are important predictors of optimal adherence to antihypertensive medication and should be targeted for improving adherence among Black adults with hypertension.