Title: Patient Adherence to Immunosuppressive Therapy for Chronic Inflammatory Eye Disease.
Purpose: To investigate adherence rates to immunosuppressive therapy (IMT) for treatment of noninfectious inflammatory eye disease (IED), adherence and disease control, and factors associated with nonadherence.
Method: Retrospective review of medical charts from 2015 to 2020 was conducted on patients with IED at 6 months, 1 and 2 years after initiation of IMT.
Results: Of 183 patients, adherence rates at 6 months and 1 year were 70% and 58% by 2 years. Eighty-two percent, 78%, and 65% of patients with disease quiescence were adherent at 6 months, 1 and 2 years, respectively. Adherent patients have 1.86 (95% CI 1.09, 3.20) times greater likelihood for disease control compared to nonadherent. Primary reason for nonadherence was patient self-discontinuation. No specific factors were associated with nonadherence.
Conclusion: Patients on IMT for IED had steady adherence rates up to 1 year, with decreased adherence at 2 years. Adherence to IMT significantly correlates with disease quiescence.
Keywords: Immunosuppressive therapy; inflammatory eye disease; medication adherence; preventable vision loss; scleritis; uveitis.