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. 2025 Aug 13;78(3):e3692.
doi: 10.4212/cjhp.3692. eCollection 2025.

Patients' Beliefs about Their Heart Failure Medications: A Cross-Sectional Survey

Tanya Dhanoa  1 , Rosaleen Boswell  2 , Arden R Barry  3
Affiliations

Patients' Beliefs about Their Heart Failure Medications: A Cross-Sectional Survey

Tanya Dhanoa et al. Can J Hosp Pharm. .

Abstract
in English, French

Background: The Beliefs about Medicines Questionnaire (BMQ) is a validated tool that has been correlated with medication adherence.

Objectives: To determine patients' beliefs about their heart failure (HF) medications and their self-reported adherence.

Methods: In this prospective cross-sectional survey of community-dwelling adult patients with any type of HF, beliefs were assessed using the BMQ. Self-reported adherence was assessed using the 5-item Medication Adherence Report Scale (MARS-5). Data were collected between January and May 2024. The primary outcome was the BMQ necessity-concerns differential (NCD).

Results: Thirty-five patients completed the survey. The mean age was 63.9 years, and 22 (63%) of the patients were women. Thirteen patients (37%) self-reported having HF with reduced ejection fraction. The mean NCD was 7.8 (range -20 to +20). The mean BMQ subscale scores were as follows: general-harm, 8.8 out of 25; general-overuse, 8.1 out of 15; specific-necessity, 20.7 out of 25; and specific-concerns, 12.9 out of 25. The mean MARS-5 score was 22.3 out of 25.

Conclusions: The positive value for mean NCD indicated that patients' beliefs about the necessity of their HF medications exceeded their concerns. Self-reported adherence was high.

Contexte: Le Beliefs about Medicines Questionnaire (BMQ) [questionnaire sur les croyances à propos des médicaments] est un outil validé corrélé à l’observance thérapeutique.

Objectifs: Déterminer les croyances des patients au sujet de leurs médicaments pour l’insuffisance cardiaque (IC) et l’observance signalée par le patient.

Méthodologie: Dans cette étude transversale prospective menée auprès de patients adultes vivant à domicile et souffrant de tout type d’IC, l’évaluation des croyances s’est faite à l’aide du BMQ. L’observance signalée par le patient a été évaluée à l’aide de la Medication Adherence Report Scale (MARS-5) [l’échelle à 5 points de rapport d’observance thérapeutique]. Les données ont été recueillies entre janvier et mai 2024. Le résultat principal de l’étude était le différentiel nécessité-préoccupation (DNP) du BMQ.

Résultats: Trente-cinq patients ont répondu au sondage. L’âge moyen était de 63,9 ans, et 22 personnes (63 %) étaient des femmes. Treize patients (37 %) ont déclaré avoir une IC avec fraction d’éjection réduite. Le score moyen du DNP était de 7,8 (plage de −20 à +20). Les scores moyens des sous-échelles du BMQ étaient les suivants : dangerosité-générale : 8,8 sur 25; surutilisation générale : 8,1 sur 15; nécessité spécifique : 20,7 sur 25; et préoccupations spécifiques : 12,9 sur 25. Le score moyen de l’échelle MARS-5 était de 22,3 sur 25.

Conclusions: La valeur positive du DNP moyen indique que les croyances des patients concernant la nécessité de prendre leurs médicaments pour l’IC dépassaient leurs préoccupations. L’observance signalée par le patient était élevée.

Keywords: drug therapy; heart failure; insuffisance cardiaque; medication adherence; observance thérapeutique; thérapie médicamenteuse.

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Conflict of interest statement

Competing interests: For activities not directly related to the study reported here, Arden Barry has received speaker’s honoraria from the Canadian Society of Hospital Pharmacists (now the Canadian Society of Healthcare-Systems Pharmacy), the American College of Clinical Pharmacy, and Pharmacy Practice + Business magazine; and Tanya Dhanoa received travel support from the Canadian Society of Transplantation. No other competing interests were declared.

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