Factors related to self-care drug treatment focusing on medication adherence of older adults in Japan

Research Project

Project/Area Number	16K12189
Research Category	Grant-in-Aid for Scientific Research (C)
Allocation Type	Multi-year Fund
Section	一般
Research Field	Gerontological nursing
Research Institution	The University of Tokyo (2017-2019) Tokyo Medical and Dental University (2016)
Principal Investigator	UENO HARUKA 東京大学, 医学部附属病院, 特任助教 (40740668)
Co-Investigator(Kenkyū-buntansha)	木内貴弘東京大学, 医学部附属病院, 教授 (10260481)
Project Period (FY)	2016-04-01 – 2020-03-31
Project Status	Completed (Fiscal Year 2019)
Budget Amount *help	¥3,770,000 (Direct Cost: ¥2,900,000、Indirect Cost: ¥870,000) Fiscal Year 2018: ¥650,000 (Direct Cost: ¥500,000、Indirect Cost: ¥150,000) Fiscal Year 2017: ¥1,430,000 (Direct Cost: ¥1,100,000、Indirect Cost: ¥330,000) Fiscal Year 2016: ¥1,690,000 (Direct Cost: ¥1,300,000、Indirect Cost: ¥390,000)
Keywords	在宅高齢者 / 服薬アドヒアランス / 薬物療法 / セルフケア
Outline of Final Research Achievements	This study focused on medication adherence and aimed to identify the current state of self-care for drug treatment in home-dwelling older adults and the factors that relate to self-care and medication. Medication adherence among home-dwelling older adults was found to be related to the ability to obtain, understand, and communicate information, in addition to the basic literacy skills of health literacy. We also found that good communication with doctors was closely related to medication adherence. Our findings suggest that it is necessary to be consciously involved in promoting health literacy and communication when supporting self-care for medical treatment of home-dwelling older adults in the future.
Academic Significance and Societal Importance of the Research Achievements	高齢化に伴い、在宅でインスリン注射や内服薬などの薬物療法のセルフケアが必要な高齢慢性疾患患者が増加している。高齢者は、複数の慢性疾患に罹患している場合が多く、薬剤も複数に及んでおり継続的な薬物療法のセルフケアの難しさが想定される。そのため、本研究で明らかにされた在宅高齢者の服薬アドヒアランスについて、ヘルスリテラシーや医師との良好なコミュニケーションが関連しているという研究成果は、今後の支援や改善を図るための有用な情報の一助となり、学術的意義ならびに社会的意義につながると考えられる。