Medication Nonadherence

[Margo Harris]

Okay, first I smiled.  When I first started in health education, we talked
about compliance and non-compliance.  Then in the late 80s, someone
patiently explained to me that "adherence" was a more friendly term that
didn't offend patients.  The concept is important, but I find that both
adherence and compliance and their opposites bother patients.  An article on
this week's MedPulse from Medscape is titled, "Medication Nonadherence:
Finding Solutions to a Costly Medical Problem," by Harold Gottlieb, PhD.
The words may change, but the problem remains.  The author notes, "Depending
on the characteristics of the condition, the treatment, the patient, and the
setting, estimates of medication nonadherence rates typically range from 30%
to 60%, with the nonadherence percentage being greatest when patients are
symptom-free."  For more information and a printable version, visit -
http://www.medscape.com/SCP/DBT/2000/v12.n06/d1206.01.gott/d1206.01.gott-01.
html

MedPulse is a free, weekly, email-delivered review of medical articles and
issues.  I find articles of interest most weeks.  There was another
interesting article about athletic injuries in children and adolescents.
You must subscribe to Medscape (www.medscape.com) to subscribe to MedPulse,
but the subscription is free.  Margo

Margo Harris
Harris Training & Consulting Services
Seattle, WA
Email: margo at htcs.com
Internet: www.htcs.com
"I know God won't give me anything I can't handle.
I just wish (s)he didn't trust me so much."  Mother Theresa