Development and usability of a web-based patient-tailored tool to support adherence to urate-lowering therapy in gout

A content analysis of medication adherence material in patient educational resources about gout

Objective

This study aimed to investigate how medication adherence is addressed in online gout resources in six countries. We investigated how often adherence was referred to, the strategies suggested to improve patient adherence, and the types of nonadherence that were targeted. We also examined the readability of the adherence material.

Methods

A content analysis was conducted on 151 online gout resources from medical and health organisations in six predominantly English-speaking countries. Two reviewers coded the content of the websites into categories (kappa 0.80). The analysis involved coding the resources for reasons for nonadherence, and adherence-promoting strategies. Flesch-Kincaid Reading Ease scores and word count were also computed.

Results

Out of 151 websites examined, 77 websites discussed medication adherence (51%), with intentional nonadherence being more prevalent than unintentional nonadherence. 67 websites targeted different types of nonadherence, including drug-specific concerns (50%), misconceptions of gout curability and the necessity of medication (16%), forgetfulness (16%), and other practical challenges (5%). Strategies to promote adherence were found in one-third of the websites, with medication education being the most prevalent strategy (17%), followed by healthcare provider engagement (13%) and memory aid strategies (6%). On average, about 11% of the words (89.27, SD = 76.35) in the entire document were focused on adherence. Difficult reading comprehension was found in one-fifth of adherence-related websites.

Conclusion

Findings reveal limited medication adherence coverage and narrow strategies in online gout resources. Improved adherence portrayal is needed for effective gout management through comprehensive strategies and clear, understandable information.

Simple Application and Adherence to Gout Guidelines Enables Disease Control: An Observational Study in French Referral Centres

Background: In a context of therapeutic inertia, the French Society of Rheumatology (SFR) published its first recommendations on gout in 2020, which were deliberately simple and concise. The objectives of the study were to determine the profile of patients referred to French gout-expert centres, and to examine the results of their management and the factors leading to those results. Methods: Three hundred patients attending a first visit for gout management in three French referral centres were retrospectively and randomly included in this multicentre observational study. Visits were performed at baseline (M0) and scheduled for month 6 (M6), month 12 (M12), and month 24 (M24). Results: Patients were 81% male and had a mean age 62.2 ± 15.2 years. Management followed French recommendations after the baseline visit in 94.9% of cases. SU levels were below 6.0 mg/dL in 59.4% of patients at M6, 67.9% at M12, and 78.6% at M24, with increasing clinical improvement (i.e., flare decrease) over 2 years of follow-up. At M24, 50% of patients were treated with allopurinol (313 ± 105 mg/d), which exceeded renal restrictions of doses in 61.5% of them, and 48.2% received febuxostat (84 ± 36 mg/d). The need for a sufficient dosage of ULT was the only predictive factor found for successful achievement of SU levels < 6.0 mg/dL at a given visit. Conclusions: Simple application of gout-management guidelines is feasible in clinical practice and is efficient, with a majority of patients achieving SU targets and clinical improvement.