Compliance (medicine)

Compliance (pronounced: kuhm-PLY-uhns) in the context of medicine refers to the degree to which a patient's behavior, such as taking medication, following a diet, or executing lifestyle changes, aligns with the recommendations from a healthcare provider.

Etymology

The term 'compliance' comes from the Latin word 'complire', which means 'to fill up'. In the medical context, it is used to describe the act of a patient following the prescribed course of treatment.

Related Terms

Adherence: This term is often used interchangeably with compliance. However, adherence emphasizes the patient's agreement to the recommendations, rather than simply following them.

Concordance: This term refers to the agreement between the patient and the healthcare provider about the treatment decisions.

Non-compliance: This term refers to the patient's failure or refusal to follow the healthcare provider's advice or treatment plan.

Patient empowerment: This concept is closely related to compliance, as it involves the patient's ability to take responsibility for their own health and to participate actively in their care.

Importance

Compliance is crucial in healthcare as it directly affects the effectiveness of treatment. Non-compliance can lead to worsening of the disease, increased healthcare costs, and even death. Therefore, healthcare providers often emphasize the importance of compliance to their patients.

Factors affecting compliance

Several factors can affect a patient's compliance, including the complexity of the treatment, the patient's understanding of the disease and treatment, the patient's beliefs and attitudes towards the disease and treatment, and the patient's relationship with the healthcare provider.

Strategies to improve compliance

Healthcare providers can use various strategies to improve compliance, such as simplifying the treatment regimen, providing clear and understandable information about the disease and treatment, involving the patient in the treatment decision-making process, and establishing a good patient-provider relationship.

External links

Medical encyclopedia article on Compliance (medicine)
Wikipedia's article - Compliance (medicine)

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Compliance (medicine)