부산대학교 도서관

Objectives. Acute hospitalization of patients with mental illness is often related to medication incompliance. This study investigated the correlation between medication compliance and acute hospitalization and relevant influential factors to reduce acute hospitalization rate by controlling these factors. Methods. A case-control study design was adopted. Purposive sampling was conducted in the clinic and acute hospitalization wards to recruit 80 outpatients and 80 inpatients with schizophrenia. A questionnaire was administered on the patients' family members to inquire the medication situations of the patients and examine their medication compliance. Results. The patients' 'unused medicine' score in medication compliance affected acute hospitalization. Patients with less quantity of unused medicine had higher scores of 'unused medicine' in medication compliance. One point in the 'unused medicine' score lowered 4% risk of acute hospitalization. Regular return visits could lower the risk of acute hospitalization among patients with schizophrenia. Higher medication compliance resulted in lower risk of hospitalization. In particular, the patients with lower quantity of unused medicine, implying higher medication compliance, had a lower risk of acute hospitalization. Conclusion. Medication compliance had a critical influence on the risk of acute hospitalization of patients with schizophrenia. Health professionals shall encourage patients and their family members to have the patients to have regular return visits and pay attention to the situation of unused medicines. In this manner, the occurrences of acute hospitalization can be effectively reduced.