Perspectives
Practical Strategies to Improve Patient Adherence to Treatment Regimens
Abstract
Adherence is “the extent to which a patient acts in accordance with the prescribed interval, and dose of a dosing regimen.”1 Poor adherence is ubiquitous in medicine, and its ramifications are far from trivial. Nonadherence costs the United States a staggering $300 billion in the form of emergency department use, hospitalizations, and diagnostic tests.2 Nearly 50% of patients with chronic diseases do not take their medications regularly.3 Furthermore, patients who are nonadherent to treatment are more likely to experience worsening medical conditions, unnecessary complications, and overall higher rates of morbidity and mortality.2This content is limited to qualifying members.
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