Adherence to chronic disease treatment in specific social conditions: a review of studies during the COVID-19 pandemic

Relevance. The COVID-19 pandemic has affected both the economy and the organisation of health care, functioning and the health status of the majority of patients with chronic diseases, which require systematic adherence to medical recommendations. The imposed restrictions and self-isolation have introduced difficulties in disease therapy, treatment adherence and monitoring of health indicators. Patients reported stress, depressive symptoms and limited social support that may have signicantly reduced adherence to chronic disease therapy during the pandemic; this is associated with an increased risk of disease aggravation and lethal outcomes in patients, which determines the relevance of the topic.

Intention. This review addresses the issue of patients’ adherence to chronic disease therapy during the COVID-19 pandemic, including nosology-specic effects and adherence behaviours.

Methodology. An analytical review of the results of research in the eld of the problem under study was conducted; 50 scientic articles, published mainly in 2020–2023 and indexed in international databases, were the material of the present study.

Results. It is noted that despite some controversies in the empirical evidence for increased/ decreased adherence among authors, researchers agree that individuals with chronic diseases during the COVID-19 pandemic experienced the combined effects of a range of challenges in the context of inaccessible health care, sedentary lifestyle, and increased stress and anxiety. In some cases, these factors led to increased vulnerability to chronic disease risk as well as risk factors for severe coronavirus.

Patients’ experiences during the pandemic allow to draw conclusions regarding the need for timely diagnosis of emotional disorders as well as the use of counselling to increase adherence to treatment. Baseline interventions may relate to the use of innovative digital health solutions, selfmanagement education/training for patients.

Conclusion. The described results and conclusions are of interest in the long term, as they allow us to formulate goals and objectives to optimise the organisation of patient care in COVID-19 pandemic-like situations that may await us in the future. 

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