ASSESSMENT OF COMPLIANCE WITH THERAPEUTIC RECOMMENDATIONS BY PATIENTS SUFFERING FROM BRONCHIAL ASTHMA AND CHRONIC OBSTRUCTIVE PULMONARY DISEASE (COPD)

Aim
The aim of the study was to assess the compliance with therapeutic recommendations in the group of patients suffering from bronchial asthma and COPD; demographic and medical factors were also included.

Material and methods
The study comprised 136 respondents and was conducted by means of a diagnostic survey. The tools used in the survey included: authors’ own questionnaire, the scale of adaptation to the pharmacological recommendations - ARMS, the scale of the disease acceptance - AIS and the Berlin Social Support Scale - BSSS.

Results
The study showed that pulmonary patients obtained an average of 17.65 points in ARMS questionnaire and 26.58 points in AIS questionnaire; according to BSSS, the average levels of all types of social support were higher than neutral levels.The patients’ compliance with therapeutic recommendations is significantly influenced by the diseases for which the respondents chronically suffer (p<0.05).On the compliance with therapeutic recommendations; only the respondents’ place of residence was of some significance (p<0.05).

Conclusions
Patients with chronic bronchial asthma and COPD followed the therapeutic recommendations satisfactorily. The level of acceptance of a pulmonary disease in the studied population did not have a significant impact on compliance with therapeutic recommendations. The support provided to the patient by relatives, family, friends and community is vitally meaningful to the level of compliance with therapeutic recommendations.