Educational Interventions to Enhance Adherence to Prophylactic Treatment in Korean Hemophilia Patients / 임상소아혈액종양

ABSTRACT

BACKGROUND: A patient's adherence to prophylactic treatment is one of the most significant factors to achieve desired outcomes, in regards to the quality of life and treatment cost-effectiveness. The aim of this study is to evaluate the effectiveness of educational interventions in enhancing adherence to prophylactic treatment in Korean hemophilia patients. METHODS: The Validated Hemophilia Regimen Treatment Adherence Scale-Prophylaxis (VERITAS-Pro) was used to measure adherence. The study design consisted of two groups. One group was not educated with the education card which presented the morning administration of clotting factor concentrates and self-infusion skill. The other group was educated with the card. The scores of each subscale in the two groups and scores focused on the ‘Timing’ subscale were compared. RESULTS: Participants were recruited from five hemophilia treatment centers in Korea with 95 eligible patients forming the uneducated group and 123 patients in the educated group. The mean total score was 40.4 and 39.9, respectively. The subscale mean scores of the uneducated group and educated group were 8.43 and 7.90 (Timing), 6.12 and 5.88 (Dosing), 6.43 and 6.33 (Planning), 5.99 and 6.35 (Remembering), 6.22 and 6.25 (Skipping), and 7.23 and 7.24 (Communicating), respectively. CONCLUSION: Results showed that education programs on prophylactic treatment for hemophilia patients need to be well-designed with precise and subject-appropriate contents. Although the mean total scores of VERITAS-Pro could not be improved, the appropriate timing of injection with the educational intervention was administered. Results suggest that this whole process can enhance Korean hemophilia patients' adherence to prophylactic treatment.