What is compliance in medicine?
Q: What is compliance in medicine?
A: Compliance in medicine refers to the fact that a patient follows the advice of their doctor and takes prescribed medications as directed.
Q: Why is compliance important for treating chronic diseases?
A: Compliance is important for treating chronic diseases because it helps ensure that the patient receives the full benefit of their treatment. Without adherence to medical advice, the effectiveness of treatments can be greatly reduced.
Q: What percentage of patients with chronic diseases living in developed countries follow treatment recommendations?
A: According to estimates from the World Health Organization, only about half of patients with chronic diseases living in developed countries follow treatment recommendations.
Q: How does non-compliance contribute to health care costs?
A: Non-compliance contributes to health care costs by increasing the human and economic burden associated with conditions such as asthma, diabetes, and hypertension.
Q: Are compliance rates overestimated in medical literature?
A: Yes, compliance rates may be overestimated in medical literature due to higher levels of adherence during clinical trials compared to "real world" settings.
Q: What are some obstacles to achieving high levels of compliance?
A: Some obstacles that can prevent high levels of compliance include difficulty taking medications at specific times or intervals, multiple drugs needing to be taken together, lack of understanding about benefits from being treated, side effects not being told about beforehand, costliness of drugs, poor communication between patient and healthcare provider.
Q: What strategies have been used to improve medication adherence?
A: Strategies used to improve medication adherence include simplifying drug packaging, providing effective medication reminders, improving patient education and limiting number of medications prescribed at one time.
