Adherence (medicine)

Patient Adherence in Medicine

In the field of medicine, patient adherence (also referred to as patient compliance or capacitance) denotes the extent to which a patient accurately follows medical advice. This concept is most commonly associated with medication or drug compliance, but it can also extend to other scenarios such as the utilization of medical devices, self-care activities, self-regulated exercises, or adherence to therapy sessions<ref>,

 Improving medication adherence in patients with hypertension: a randomized trial, 
 American Journal of Medicine, 
 2015,
 
 
 
 
 
 
 Full text,</ref>.

Patient-Healthcare Provider Relationship

A positive physician-patient relationship is deemed the most influential factor in augmenting patient adherence, along with the affordability of prescription medications<ref>,

 Improving patient adherence: A three-factor model to guide practice, 
 Health Psychology Review, 
 2012,
 
 
 
 
 
 
 Full text,</ref>.

Compliance vs Concordance

Adherence or compliance can often be confused with concordance. Concordance in medicine refers to a collaborative process in which the patient and clinician make shared decisions about the treatment plan<ref>,

 From compliance to concordance: barriers to accomplishing a re-framed model of health care interactions, 
 Social Science & Medicine, 
 2004,
 
 
 
 
 
 
 Full text,</ref>.

Global Impact and Barriers

Non-adherence to medical advice is a significant global impediment to the effective provision of healthcare. A World Health Organization estimate from 2003 stated that merely about 50% of patients suffering from chronic diseases in developed countries adhere to treatment recommendations. This issue is particularly prominent in managing chronic conditions like asthma, diabetes, and hypertension. Key barriers to adherence include complex medication regimens, poor health literacy, misunderstanding of treatment benefits, unaddressed side effects, dissatisfaction with treatment, the cost of medications, and poor communication or lack of trust between the patient and their healthcare provider<ref>

Adherence to Long-Term Therapies: Evidence for Action(link). {{{website}}}. World Health Organization.

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Efforts to Improve Adherence

Efforts to enhance patient adherence have included simplifying medication packaging, implementing effective medication reminders, enhancing patient education, and minimizing the number of concurrently prescribed medications. However, the characteristics and effects of interventions aimed at improving adherence vary significantly, and it remains unclear how adherence can be consistently improved to elicit clinically important effects<ref>,

 Interventions to enhance medication adherence, 
 Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews, 
 2014,
 
 
 
 
 
 
 Full text,</ref>.

See Also

• Health Literacy
• Chronic Disease Management
• Healthcare Communication

External Links

• World Health Organization - Adherence to Long-Term Therapies: Evidence for Action
• CDC - Managing ADHD with Medication
• Mayo Clinic - Diabetes Management: How Lifestyle, Daily Routine Affect Blood Sugar

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