Adults with alopecia areata showed higher medication adherence than those with atopic dermatitis. “In disease management, understanding the nature of chronic skin diseases and their impact on medication adherence is critical for patient care," according to study researchers.
The recent cross-sectional study, published in JAAD International, compared medication adherence between 459 adults with alopecia areata and 2,872 with atopic dermatitis, utilizing the Medication Adherence Report Scale-5 with 3,331 total adult participants from the Danish Skin Cohort.
Participants completed a questionnaire assessing their adherence to prescribed treatments. The study found that patients with alopecia areata had significantly higher medication adherence scores compared to those with atopic dermatitis (mean Medication Adherence Report Scale-5 score of 21.81 vs. 18.29, respectively). Additionally, men reported higher adherence than women (odds ratio = 1.49, 95% CI 1.14-1.94). Disease severity did not significantly impact adherence levels.
While the study relied on self-reported adherence and did not account for factors such as socioeconomic status or medication types, findings highlighted potential differences in adherence behavior.
“Individual patient characteristics should be incorporated in clinical decision-making and assessment of therapeutic goals,” noted researchers.
A full list of author disclosures can be found in the original study.