Health Coaching for Improving Medication Adherence among Primary Care Patients with Uncontrolled Hypertension, Egypt

Abstract

Background: Studies on health coaching effect on medication adherence are limited among primary care patients with uncontrolled hypertension in developing countries. Aim: This study was designed to assess the effectiveness of health coaching on medication adherence among primary care patients with uncontrolled hypertension compared to standard care in Egypt. Materials and methods: This quasi-experimental study was conducted between July 2020 and November 2021. This study included control and intervention groups. The intervention group included 70 participants who received face-to-face and telephone health coaching sessions in addition to the usual care, while the control group included 71 participants who only received usual care. The participants were recruited from 3 primary healthcare (PHC) settings in the Port Said governorate. Personal and medical history, the Arabic version of Morisky Medication Adherence Scale (MMAS-8), and blood pressure measurements were obtained. Results: Providing a combination of health coaching and standard care for hypertension resulted in a significant reduction of low adherence to antihypertensive medications as well as improvement of high medication adherence compared to providing only standard care (p < /strong><0.001). In the intervention group, high medication adherence increased from 57.1% to 80% after 6 months of health coaching. Rising age (β = 0.042, p <0.001), higher level of education (β = 0.265, p=0.013), and receiving monotherapy (β = − 0.407, p=0.020) were the predictors of medication adherence after this intervention. Conclusion: Intervention includes traditional health coaching and phone calls is a beneficial modality for improving medication adherence among primary care patients with uncontrolled hypertension.