Objective: To describe the current status of medication adherence among outpatients with hypertension at Ha Dong General Hospital in 2024.
Subjects and methods: A cross-sectional descriptive study was conducted on 200 patients aged 18 years and older who had been clinically diagnosed with hypertension and were receiving outpatient treatment at Ha Dong General Hospital. Patients who had not yet required antihypertensive medication or who were unable or unwilling to participate were excluded.
Results: The gender distribution was nearly equal. The majority of hypertensive patients were aged 60 years and above (85.5%), though a trend toward younger onset was observed, with 3.5% aged 18-39. Most participants lived in urban areas, had a higher level of education, and stable income. The rate of overweight and obesity was high (52.5%), while alcohol and tobacco use remained notable at 39% and 37%, respectively. Among the patients, 55% had been on antihypertensive medication for over 10 years, 81.5% had comorbidities, and 44.5% used more than 3 types of medications per day. The proportion of patients adhering to antihypertensive treatment was 43%, with good and moderate adherence accounting for only 9% and 34%, respectively. A significant 57% of patients were non-adherent to treatment.
Conclusion: The rate of medication adherence among hypertensive patients at Ha Dong General Hospital remains low, with over half of the patients being non-adherent. Factors such as older age, lower educational level, multiple comorbidities, and complex treatment regimens may contribute to poor adherence. Appropriate interventions are necessary to improve treatment effectiveness.