Clinical Research Directory

Treatment Adherence Among Patients With Inflammatory Bowel Disease Receiving Anti-TNF Therapy

Inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) is a chronic condition characterized by periods of remission and relapse, requiring long-term treatment adherence to maintain disease control and prevent complications. Anti-tumor necrosis factor (anti-TNF) agents are widely used in the management of moderate to severe IBD; however, suboptimal adherence remains a significant clinical problem due to concerns related to adverse effects, treatment burden, and insufficient patient knowledge. This randomized controlled trial evaluated the effectiveness of a nurse-led, Health Belief Model (HBM)-based structured patient education program on treatment adherence among patients with inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) receiving anti-TNF-α therapy. The study was conducted as a two-center trial between February and July 2024 in the gastroenterology inpatient units and outpatient clinics in Izmir, Turkey. A total of 408 patients were screened, and 140 eligible patients were enrolled and allocated 1:1 to intervention (n=70) and control (n=70) groups. Participants were randomized using stratified randomization to balance potential confounders, with strata defined by sex, age group (18-35, 36-54, ≥55), IBD type (ulcerative colitis/Crohn's disease), IBD diagnosis duration (\<12, 13-24, 25-36 months), and anti-TNF treatment duration (\<6, 6-12, 13-36 months). Assignments were generated via SPSS with a fixed block size within strata. Eligible participants were adults (≥18 years), Turkish-literate, diagnosed with IBD for ≥6 months, using anti-TNF-α therapy for ≥3 months, able to communicate and cognitively competent, and willing to participate. Key exclusions included cognitive disorders (e.g., dementia/Alzheimer's), malignant/pre-malignant disease history, and use of more than four medications. The intervention group received the HBM-based structured education, while the control group received standard education. Outcomes were assessed using a pre-test/post-test design to determine the program's impact on adherence-related measures.