World Health Organization defined Adherence as, “the extent to which a person's behavior - taking medication, following a diet, and/...
World Health Organization defined Adherence as, “the extent to which a person's behavior - taking medication, following a diet, and/or executing lifestyle changes, corresponds with agreed recommendations from a health care provider.”
[WHO 2003]
Adherence to or compliance with – these terms are mostly used by health care provider and can be interchanged with each other, however there is difference in above terms. The difference can be recognized if the participation or willingness of patient is considered when writing the prescription. In adherence patient is actively participating in establishment of alliance with physician and in case of compliance, patient is passively following doctors order and not involved in asking his or her own opinion. (Osterberg and Blaschke 2005)
Adherence is most preferred term now a days used by health care providers, Adherence corresponds mutual agreement between patient and physician on recommendations given by physician to the patient. That means patient ask and able to modify the recommendations of physician in writing prescription.
For example physician was going to prescribe a particular medicine 3 times a day, but patient ask the physician that he has busy schedule so he may not be able to take medicine 3 times so upon this physician gave him a sustain release medicine on active participation of patient. Now if patient follow this is said to be adherence and if not is called non-adherence.
On other hand let’s talk about Compliance and non-compliance; if patient is not participating or physician is not considering patient opinion or will and he prescribe medicine three times a day without patient participation so now if patient is not following the order is called noncompliance and if he still follows is called compliance.
The adherence is not always same for every patient, it can be termed as percentage of prescribed doses taken by the patient over a specified period of time. Adherence rates are different in different patients, Adherence rate is high in patients with acute condition while it it is low in patient with chronic conditions. (Osterberg and Blaschke 2005). This shows that patients with chronic conditions are more prone to non-adherence.
Measures of the adherence
There are two methods to measure adherence1. Direct Method
2. Indirect method (Osterberg and Blaschke 2005)
References
http://apps.who.int/medicinedocs/en/d/Js4883e/6.html
Osterberg, L. and T. Blaschke (2005). "Adherence to medication." New England Journal of Medicine 353(5): 487-497.