Improving Medication Adherence in African American Adult Females with Hypertension

The World Health Organization (WHO) reported that adherence among patients with chronic diseases averages nearly 50% in developed countries (Lam & Fresco, 2015). Medication non-adherence is recognized as a significant public health issue that leads to poor health outcomes and added healthcare costs. Multiple African American adult females with hypertension have a high prevalence of non-adhering to their treatment plan. Numerous factors lead to poor medication adherence, including socioeconomic factors, therapy-related factors, patients-related factors, condition-related factors, and health system/healthcare team-related factors (Lam & Fresco, 2015). Medication adherence can lead to a decreased risk of adverse outcomes such as stroke and heart attack, improved patient satisfaction, and reduction in healthcare costs. The purpose of this Doctor of Nursing Practice (DNP) project was to identify factors that affect medication non-adherence among African American females diagnosed with hypertension through the use of the Hill-Bone Compliance to Blood Pressure Therapy Questionnaire. A retrospective chart review was completed on each participant that completed the questionnaire. The results of the DNP project indicated that medication adherence is an issue in this specific population. The project suggested a policy implementation at the healthcare facility that will incorporate the use of the Hill-Bone Compliance to Blood Pressure Therapy Questionnaire. The change will be done to help identify barriers to medication non-adherence early; thereby, potentially decreasing the risk of stroke, heart attack, and other co-morbid diseases