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Adherence

Adherence to the treatment generally shows whether the patient complies with the instructions and directions of the physician in terms of medication, nutrition, exercise and overall disease management.
It has been observed, since ancient times, that patients often ignore the medical advice. A typical example is the one of Hippocrates who warned the practitioners to oversee the patient’s errors that make them reluctant to tell the truth about treatment compliance. In fact, almost all chronic conditions face high rates of non-adherence and those with no visible symptoms, such as depression, have the lowest adherence rates. Poor patient adherence may lead to insufficient treatment a fact that may also lead to significant costs for the healthcare system increasing the admission to the hospital.

Reasons for non-adherence:

Why compliance programs are important Creating adherence programmes has only positive effects to:

a) For the patient

Empowerment and active involvement in the healthcare process Compliance to the physician’s instructions Training on the drug use Discreet and convenient services at the patient’s residence Training and support of the patient’s relatives Improves quality of life for the patients and their relatives Strengthens the relationship between patients and doctors

b) For the doctor

Ensuring patient compliance to the physicians’ instructions Ongoing monitoring of the patient’s health status and treatment Fewer hospitalizations / fewer drug modifications Strengthens the relationship between patients and doctors Pharmacovigilance reports on side effects of drugs

c) For the companies

Patient-centric approach Designing a framework with multiple points of contact and interaction with patients and doctors Patient compliance to treatment Gaining new knowledge by collecting data from patients Aligning strategies with the expectations and needs of patients Provide personalized experience for each patient