Therapeutic adherence

Abstract

Defined in this work the concept of therapeutic adherence, which requires active and voluntary collaboration with the plan of health care, and incorporates beliefs and attitudes of the patient and factors to be taken into consideration. It is remarkable that the major differ ence between adherence and compliance is that the adherence requires agreement of the patient with regard to the recommendations. In relation to the magnitude of the problem is mentioned in the developed countries adherence to treatment in patients with chronic diseases is 50%, and after 6 months of the beginning of treatment, ranges from 30 to 80% the number of patients stop taking the medication. Describes the different kinds of failure on the basis of the follow-up: "partial failure and/or sporadic", "rest pharmacological or therapeutics holidays", "white coat compliance" and "complete failure". Reviews the main causes of the failure, being the most important the lack of information and the lack of support in the change of behavior that is required for the majority of pathology, especially in the elderly and the chronic ill. The following are methods for measuring the adherence, both direct and indirect (in which there are objective methods and subjective). Finally, it's raised the various methods that can be used to improve adherence and interventions to improve compliance. © 2012 Ediciones Mayo, S.A. Todos los derechos reservados.