Drug compliance in patients with systemic scleroderma
Clinical Rheumatology, 08/16/2012
Hromadkova L et al. – The study represents the first evaluation of drug compliance in patients with systemic scleroderma. Many noncompliant patients were identified, but no common risk factors for noncompliance were discovered. The reasons for noncompliance seem to depend on the personal features of the patients.
Methods- A cross-sectional observational study was conducted.
- All patients with systemic scleroderma (n = 41) who visited a rheumatic center and signed an informed consent form were included.
- Data were obtained during structured interviews with patients and from medical records.
- The Compliance Questionnaire Rheumatology (CQR) was used to determine patient compliance.
- The relationships between compliance rate and demographic and clinical characteristics were examined.
- The mean CQR score was 75 %.
- Based on a dichotomous rating, only 42 % of the patients achieved a satisfactory compliance rate (≥80 %).
- No relationships between various demographic and clinical characteristics and CQR score expressed as continuous or dichotomous variables were found.



