WOMEN ARE MORE ADHERENT TO LIFESTYLE MODIFICATION AMONG UNCONTROLLED HYPERTENSIVE PATIENTS THAN MEN - EHUH 2 STUDY

Non-adherence to pharmacological treatment for hypertension or high blood pressure reduces the effectiveness of the prescribed treatment and leads to additional consultations, waste in healthcare resources, increased cardiovascular events and increased healthcare costs. Currently, a substantial proportion (around 41%) of patients do not take their medication as prescribed. Thus, there is a need for cost-effective interventions to support medication adherence. Tailored behaviour change interventions is one way to address the complex and personal reasons underlying medicine non-adherence; and healthcare recommendations highlight the need to integrate such interventions into routine care. The reasons of non-adherence can be intentional (INA), where a patient decides not to take or modify the prescribed treatment; or non-intentional (NINA) where a patient might forget, misunderstands, or has practical barriers to adherence. This research describes a highly tailored intervention aiming to address the underlying psychological and behavioural determinants to non-adherence, in patients with high blood pressure and comorbidities in UK primary care. Based on evidence from randomised controlled trials, this research illustrates examples on what and how tailored advice influences patient medication adherence beliefs and efficacy and brings about clinically meaningful outcomes. This research will also provide examples on how to integrate such interventions into usual care, to leverage key resources to produce positive effects on maintained adherence and improved blood pressure outcomes.