Adherence to methadone maintenance treatment and associated factors among patients in Vietnamese mountainside areas
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RESEARCH
Open Access
Adherence to methadone maintenance treatment and associated factors among patients in Vietnamese mountainside areas Long Hoang Nguyen1†, Huong Thu Thi Nguyen2,3†, Huong Lan Thi Nguyen4*†, Bach Xuan Tran2,5 and Carl A. Latkin5
Abstract Background: Medication adherence is essential to achieve successful methadone maintenance treatment (MMT). However, treatment adherence among MMT patients in the mountainous setting in Vietnam has not been yet investigated. This study aimed to explore the medication adherence and associated factors in MMT patients in Tuyen Quang, a mountainous province. Methods: A cross-sectional survey was conducted in two MMT clinics namely Tuyen Quang and Son Duong. Convenience sampling method was used to recruit patients. Adherence to MMT was assessed by using three questions: 1) number of days that they missed doses in the last 4 days; 2) whether they missed doses during the last weekend and 3) when they missed a dose within the last 3 months. Adherence was considered optimal if patients reported ‘no’ to three questions. Socioeconomic status, health status (measured by EuroQol-5 Dimensions – 5 Levels – EQ5D5L and Visual analogue scale – VAS), substance use and abuse and methods to support adherence were also collected. Results: Among 241 patients, 34.4% reported optimal adherence. Self-help was the most popular (89.2%) method used to support adherence. Risk factors of missing doses and suboptimal adherence included higher education and economic status; being a worker/farmer; longer duration of treatment; and suffering pain/discomfort and anxiety/depression. Protective factors were older age, having problems in usual activities/self-care, higher EQ-VAS and EQ-5D index; and reminded by mobile phone and family members. Conclusions: This study found a high sub-optimal adherence rate among MMT patients in a mountainous setting in Vietnam. Measuring adherence by using several simple items could be used periodically to monitor the treatment adherence in the clinical setting. Family and mobile phone support would have a potential role in supporting patients to adhere treatment. Keywords: Adherence, Methadone, MMT, Mountainous, Vietnam
Background Ensuring the sustainability of a health program needs great efforts to maintain the program’s benefits regardless of funding received [1]. As methadone maintenance treatment (MMT) has been an integral part of HIV elimination plan worldwide [2, 3], efforts to optimize the effectiveness of this * Correspondence: [email protected]; [email protected] † Equal contributors 4 Institute for Global Health Innovations, Duy Tan University, Da Nang, Vietnam Full list of author information is available at the end of the article
intervention have been growing in the recent years, including strategies to improve the retention and adherence of MMT patients. Methadone is a μ-opioid receptor agonist that has been shown helpful in reducing illicit drug use, drug-related risk behaviors and crimes, as well as promoting health and well-being among opi
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