title: Hepatitis C patients' self-reported adherence to treatment with pegylated interferon and ribavirin.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Prior research on adherence to hepatitis C treatment has documented rates of dose reductions and early treatment discontinuation, but little is known about patients' dose-taking adherence.
  
  
  OBJECTIVE
  To assess the prevalence of missed doses of pegylated interferon and ribavirin and examine the correlates of dose-taking adherence in clinic settings.
  
  
  METHODS
  One hundred and eighty patients on treatment for hepatitis C (23% coinfected with HIV) completed a cross-sectional survey at the site of their hepatitis C care.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Seven per cent of patients reported missing at least one injection of pegylated interferon in the last 4 weeks and 21% reported missing at least one dose of ribavirin in the last 7 days. Dose-taking adherence was not associated with HCV viral load.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Self-reported dose non-adherence to hepatitis C treatment occurs frequently. Further studies of dose non-adherence (assessed by method other than self-report) and its relationship to HCV virological outcome are warranted.
authors.affiliation: Department of Psychiatry, Mount Sinai School of Medicine, New York, NY 10029, USA. Jeffrey.Weiss@msnyuhealth.org
authors.forename: J J
authors.initials: JJ
authors.lastname: Weiss
authors.forename: L
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Bhatti
authors.forename: D T
authors.initials: DT
authors.lastname: Dieterich
authors.forename: B R
authors.initials: BR
authors.lastname: Edlin
authors.forename: D A
authors.initials: DA
authors.lastname: Fishbein
authors.forename: M B
authors.initials: MB
authors.lastname: Goetz
authors.forename: K
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Yu
authors.forename: G J
authors.initials: GJ
authors.lastname: Wagner
mesh_terms: D000998:Antiviral Agents / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D004359:Drug Therapy, Combination; D005260:Female; D015658:HIV Infections / Q000150:complications / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000821:virology; D015497:HIV-1; D006526:Hepatitis C / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000821:virology; D006801:Humans; D007372:Interferons / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D010349:Patient Compliance / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D012254:Ribavirin / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D016896:Treatment Outcome; D019562:Viral Load
chemical_list: D000998:Antiviral Agents; D012254:Ribavirin; D007372:Interferons