Validation of Morisky medication adherence scale questionnaire in the treatment of Behcet's disease with colchicine

Abstract

Behçet's disease is a chronic, multisystem inflammatory condition of unknown origin, which has recently been recognized as a type of vasculitis affecting arteries and veins of various sizes. Medication adherence is a significant issue within the healthcare system, particularly for patients with Behçet's disease, who often require complex multi-drug regimens due to the chronic nature of their illness. This study aimed to assess the validity of the Morisky medication adherence scale questionnaire specifically for patients with Behçet's disease who are being treated with colchicine. Materials and Methods: In the current study, all patients with Behçet's disease referred to Imam Reza Hospital in Tabriz were evaluated to see if they met the inclusion criteria. A checklist was completed for each patient that included demographic information such as age, sex, disease duration, medications used, and the duration of medication use. Additionally, the checklist contained results from clinical examinations and laboratory tests specific to Behçet's disease. The Morisky Medication Adherence Scale (MMAS-8), a standardized questionnaire, was utilized to measure patients' adherence to medication. Results: This study examined 89 patients with Behçet's disease, with an average age of 41.9 years ranging from 19 to 85. Of the participants, 50.6% were female. The severity of the disease was mild in most patients (72.1%). The most common types of involvement included oral lesions (100%) and genital lesions (43.8%), followed by ocular involvement (42.7%) and skin lesions (29.2%). Among the patients, 89 cases (100%) were taking colchicine, 69.4% were taking prednisolone, and 38.8% were taking azathioprine. The average Morisky Medication Adherence Score was 5.1 ± 1.7 (ranging from 1.5 to 8). Medication adherence among patients was classified as high in 11.2%, moderate in 30.3%, and low in 58.4%. There was a significant and direct correlation between the Morisky scores and the CQR-5 questionnaire scores. Additionally, a statistically significant relationship was found between the MMAS-8 medication adherence scores and the patients' ages, indicating that older patients tended to have higher medication adherence (p=0.021).