Therapeutic adherence: concepts, determinants and new strategies

Abstract

Background: Non-adherence to drug treatment has been a complex and multifactorial phenomenon since the 1970s. According to the main goal of improving global adherence rates to commonly used treatments, the World Health Organization (WHO) launched in 2001 the Project on Therapeutic Adherence. After that one, there are multiple studies carried out on this subject with a high variability of results. We reviewed the recommendations for the study of therapeutic adherence, the implications and consequences of nonadherence, the scales that evaluate adherence, predictive factors, inluencing factors and intervention strategies. Source: We identiied adherence studies published between 2014-2016. Development: WHO deined adherence as the extent to which a person’s behavior corresponds to the agreed recommendations of a health care provider, in relation to the taking of the Medication, monitoring a diet or the modiication of lifestyle habits. The magnitude of the worldwide non-adherence to Chronic Disease (CHD) treatments ranges from 25% to 50% (even 30-60% in other studies), but this adherence to treatments is much lower in the developing countries Of development due to the scarcity of health resources and inequities in access to health care. Conclusion: Interventions to improve adherence should be discussed with the patient, considering their problems and individual needs.