Abstract: PUB358
Effect of Treatment Adherence on Patient Health-Related Quality of Life Among Kidney Transplant Recipients: Evidence from a Real-World Survey
Session Information
Category: Transplantation
- 2102 Transplantation: Clinical
Authors
- Hashemi, Lobat, Veloxis Pharmaceuticals, Cary, North Carolina, United States
- Horwedel, Tim A., Veloxis Pharmaceuticals, Cary, North Carolina, United States
- Barlow, Sophie, Adelphi Real World, Bollington, United Kingdom
- Taylor, Dean Anthony, Adelphi Real World, Bollington, United Kingdom
- Clayton, Sarah, Adelphi Real World, Bollington, United Kingdom
- Lowe, Mollie, Adelphi Real World, Bollington, United Kingdom
Background
Immunosuppressive treatment, prescribed post-kidney transplant, can cause adverse side effects which may affect patient adherence & health-related quality of life (QoL). We aimed to describe the impact of non-adherence on patient health-related QoL.
Methods
Data were drawn from the Adelphi Real World Kidney Transplant Disease Specific Programme™, a cross-sectional survey of nephrologists in the USA from September 2024 – April 2025. Physicians reported patient demographic & clinical characteristics for 6 consecutively consulting kidney transplant recipients. Patients voluntarily completed the Adelphi Drug Adherence Questionnaire (ADAQ©), Short Form Health Survey 12-item (SF-12), Work Productivity and Activity Impairment (WPAI), & Functional Assessment of Chronic Illness Therapy-Calcineurin Inhibitor-Neurotoxicity (FACIT-CNI-NTX). Simple linear regressions were used to explore the relationship between patient adherence via the ADAQ and patient-reported QoL outcomes via the SF-12, FACIT-CNI-NTX, and WPAI.
Results
7 physicans reported data for 51 patients, of whom all self-reported data. 16 patients were completely adherent (ADAQ score=0) and 35 were not completely adherent (ADAQ score >0). Demographic & clinical characteristics are reported in Table 1. Regression analysis demonstrated a significant relationship between ADAQ and the SF-12 mental health composite (coefficient=-9.25, R2=-0.72; p=0.02), the FACIT-CNI-NTX tremor scale (coefficient=-2.24, R2=-0.61; p<0.01), FACIT-CNI-NTX cognitive side effects scale (coefficient=-2.61, R2=-0.68; p<0.01), and the WPAI activity impairment domain (coefficient=26.36, R2=0.82; p<0.01).
Conclusion
Non-adherence was associated with worse patient-reported outcomes via a corresponding decline in mental health status and an increase in reported cognitive and neurological side effects. Non-adherence was also linked to greater activity impairment. This underscores the substantial negative effect of poor adherence on patient QoL. Future research should aim to identify the root cause of non-adherence among kidney transplant recipients.