Patient-Reported Immunosuppression Nonadherence 6 to 24 Months after Liver Transplant: Association with Pretransplant Psychosocial Factors and Perceptions of Health Status Change

Abstract

Context

Knowing the prevalence and risk factors of immunosuppression nonadherence after liver transplant may help guide intervention development.

Objective

To examine whether sociodemographic and psychosocial variables before liver transplant are predictive of nonadherence after liver transplant.

Design

Structured telephone interviews were used to collect self-report immunosuppression adherence and health status information. Medical record reviews were then completed to retrospectively examine the relationship between immunosuppression adherence and pretransplant variables, including sociodemographic and medical characteristics and the presence or absence of 6 hypothesized psychosocial risk factors.

Setting and Participants

A nonprobability sample of 236 adults 6 to 24 months after liver transplant at 2 centers completed structured telephone interviews.

Main Outcome Measure

Immunosuppressant medication nonadherence, categorized as missed-dose and altered-dose “adherent” or “nonadherent” during the past 6 months; immunosuppression medication holidays.

Results

Eighty-two patients (35%) were missed-dose nonadherent and 34 patients (14%) were altered-dose nonadherent. Seventy-one patients (30%) reported 1 or more 24-hour immunosuppression holidays in the past 6 months. Missed-dose nonadherence was predicted by male sex (odds ratio, 2.46; P = .01), longer time since liver transplant (odds ratio, 1.08; P = .01), pretransplant mood disorder (odds ratio, 2.52; P = .004), and pretransplant social support instability (odds ratio, 2.25; P= .03). Altered-dose nonadherence was predicted by pretransplant mood disorder (odds ratio, 2.15; P= .04) and pretransplant social support instability (odds ratio, 1.89; P= .03).

Conclusion

Rates of immunosuppressant nonadherence and drug holidays in the first 2 years after liver transplant are unacceptably high. Pretransplant mood disorder and social support instability increase the risk of nonadherence, and interventions should target these modifiable risk factors.