Study of major factors influencing adherence to statin treatment using the «desicion tree»

Statin (lipid-lowering medications) therapy is a key focus in the treatment and prevention of cardiovascular disease. In this study, 23 % of patients stopped taking statins at 3 months after discharge and 27 % of patients at 6 months after discharge. These figures are similar to the previous analysis of adherence to statins. Low adherence determines the continuing of identifying factors influencing the keeping up treatment. In order to study the factors influencing compliance the “decision tree” was used. The research has been conducted on the group of 69 patients who had been treated in the cardiological department and who had been observed at the outpatient stage during the 6 months. The intellectual technology «decision tree» has been used with a view to analysing of affecting the compliance with recommendations for the reception of statins after hospital care. For building «decision trees» the input data has been applied: age, gender, social status, reasons for hospitalization, treatment before hospital, arterial hypertension length, heart failure presence, atrial fibrillation, ischemic heart disease, history of myocardial infarction, comorbidity, tendency to forgetfulness in taking medication, side effects of medicines, well-being during treatment, drug replacement, giving of visual recommendations. Output data: keeping up/cessation of medical regimen during 3 and 6 months after hospital. «Decision trees» have identified determinative outcome factors: the presence of a history of coronary heart disease, the reason for hospitalization, giving of visual recommendations, the drug replacement, the age of patients, the arterial hypertension length, the social status. The failure to comply with the recommendations is most specific for the senior age group, for patients with small experience of arterial hypertension and changes in therapy. The non-complementary groups of patients need to fix the attention of patients by a detailed explanation method for the purpose of prescribing a drug and the reasons for replacing drugs in the future.

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