P-39 PREVALENCE AND FACTORS ASSOCIATED WITH TREATMENT ADHERENCE IN LIVER TRANSPLANT PATIENTS ATTENDED AT LACARDIO, BOGOTÁ, COLOMBIA

Conflict of interest

No

Introduction and Objectives

Patients undergoing liver transplantation need long-term follow-up to ensure graft success and survival. Adherence to lifestyle recommendations and medication, particularly immunosuppressive therapy, is a key factor in graft survival and in reducing public health costs. Adherence impacts graft survival and public health costs. Given its importance and the lack of research in Latin America and Colombia, we assess local adherence levels and explore factors associated with non-adherence. Objective: To determine the prevalence of adherence to pharmacological and non-pharmacological treatments and the associated factors among liver transplant patients treated at a tertiary care hospital in Colombia

Patients / Materials and Methods

The BAASIS questionnaire was used to assess adherence among liver transplant patients at a specialized transplant center in Colombia. In addition, ITBS questionnaire was used for the identification of barriers to immunosuppressive medication adherence (external vs. patient-controlled barriers). Demographic and clinical data were collected from 2006 to 2024.

Results and Discussion

In this study, 398 post-transplant patients with a mean age of 49 at transplantation were analyzed. Logistic regression using the BAASIS scale showed 35.1% (140) were non-adherent to their immunosuppressive regimen. The ITBS scale categorized barriers as unintentional (e.g., skipping medications due to travel, depression, or running out) or intentional (e.g., forgetting, side effects, feeling well, or routine deviations). Bivariate analysis revealed a significant association with adherence at a 5% significance level. Pre-transplant follow-up variables also showed links to non-adherence and prior assessments of unsuitability by social work or psychology.

Conclusions

Non-adherence in post-transplant patients is influenced by both intentional and unintentional factors, underscoring the need to address these in pre- and post-transplant education. Special attention should be given to non-adherence histories during pre-transplant evaluations and psychological or social work assessments that deem patients unsuitable at any point. More targeted follow-up and education could significantly reduce non-adherence rates.