Medication adherence in Hispanics to latent tuberculosis treatment: a literature review

Abstract

To review the literature on medication adherence for latent tuberculosis infection (LTBI) in Hispanics. Improving adherence to medication regimen could reduce the likelihood of further tuberculosis resistance. A literature review searched for studies of medication adherence in Hispanics in the United States. Data on study purpose, design, population description, method of measuring adherence and main findings were collected. Twelve studies met the inclusion criteria. Methods of measuring adherence were mostly indirect. The review identified financial status, health literacy, and cultural factors as important barriers to medication adherence. The relationship between medication adherence and demographics, gender, self-reported health, and side-effects was inconclusive. A balanced relationship between the patient and healthcare provider could increase adherence. Limited availability of published literature show there are important gaps in the conceptual understanding of this problem. Additional research is needed identify factors affecting medication adherence in Hispanics with LTBI.