To determine treatment non-adherence and to explore barriers to treatment adherence among people diagnosed with stroke.

Stroke demands a multidisciplinary treatment approach. Treatment adherence is essential for the success of treatment. Poor adherence results in a reduction in the clinical benefits. Identifying barriers encountered in adhering to treatment is of paramount importance to plan interventions for improving adherence.

A descriptive survey design was used. A purposive sampling technique was used to select study participants. Demographic proforma was used to record demographic data. 'Tool to assess treatment-non-adherence' and 'tool to assess barriers to treatment adherence' was used to identify non-adherence patterns and barriers to treatment adherence respectively. The study was carried out adhering to Ethical committee guidelines.

Among 300 stroke patients, 55.7% were above 55 years and 60% were males. 50.7% of the participants were uneducated and 51.3% were unemployed at the time of data collection. 73.7% belonged to the nuclear family. 63% of patients had monthly income between Rs. 11,000-50,000. Recurrence of stroke was reported by 26% of patients and 16% had a family history of stroke. 

Non-adherence to health habits was seen in 76.56% of patients. 68.31% were non-adherent to stroke rehabilitation, 49.83% were non-adherent to regular follow up visits and 36.63% were non-adherent to medications.

Long waiting hours in the outpatient departments(OPDs) was the major barrier identified by the majority(80%) of the participants.  Financial problems (49%), Impaired physical mobility(46.3%). Poor accessibility to health services(30.4%). Non-availability of health insurance (80-26.7%), difficulty in balancing between treatment schedule and lifestyle (76-25.4%), followed the rank order as the consecutive barriers.

Non-adherence to stroke treatment is found in the majority of the participants and major barriers identified were long waiting hours in the OPDs and financial problems. Â鶹´«Ã½Ó³»­al interventions should be provided regarding the importance of treatment adherence to enhance better outcomes.