Medication-Related Burden Among Patients with Chronic Disease Conditions: Perspectives of Patients Attending Non-Communicable Disease Clinics in a Primary Healthcare Setting in Qatar

摘要

This study aimed to adapt a medication-related burden instrument, the Living with Medicines Questionnaire (LMQ), into the Arabic context, report the psychometric properties of the Arabic version, and assess the burden resulting from the treatment of chronic conditions in Qatar.;The research included two phases. In Phase 1; cultural adaptation was conducted to generate an Arabic version of LMQ (LMQ-AR). In Phase 2, the LMQ-AR was used in a cross-sectional study among patients with chronic conditions in Qatar. Data obtained were used to assess the psychometric properties of the LMQ-AR, as well as to report medication-related burden perceived by patients. Construct validity of the LMQ-AR was evaluated by associating the LMQ-AR score with adherence, measured by the Adherence to Refills and Medications Scale (ARMS), and with global burden assessed by Visual Analogue Scale (VAS). Internal consistency was assessed using Cronbach's Alpha.;A total of 293 patients with diabetes, from different ethnicities, age groups, and educational levels completed the study forms. Of the total sample, 138 patients used the Arabic versions. The domains of LMQ-AR showed acceptable internal consistency with Cronbach's ranging from 0.59 to 0.80. The overall LMQ-AR score was positively correlated with ARMS score (rs=0.400, P<0.0001), and VAS (rs=0.335, P<0.0001). Majority of the patients (n = 253) reported the existence of minimum (66.6%) to moderate (24.1%) medication-related burden. There was a moderate positive correlation between the scores of LMQ and ARMS, rs(251) =0.317, p < 0.0005. Diagnosis duration of diabetes (beta = 0.203, p < 0.05), adherence score (beta = 0.342, p < 0.05), marital status (beta = 0.161, p < 0.05), employment status (beta = -0.191, p < 0.05), and the presence of hypertension (beta = -0.131, p < 0.05) were significant predictors of overall medication burden.;The Arabic version of the LMQ is a reliable and valid instrument that can be used to assess medication-related burden among patients with chronic conditions in the Arabic context. A considerable proportion of patients suffer from medication-related burden, which could be affected by many factors.