Adherence to Medication Regimens and Recommended Lifestyle Changes in Patients with Cardiovascular Disease

ompliance and adherence — the extent to which a patient’s behavior corresponds to the medical advice he has received — are often used as interchangeable terms. However, adherence has become the preferred term because it implies a mutual agreement on a plan of treatment, rather than a more dictatorial approach to disease management. Adherence is a complex behavioral process that is strongly influenced by the patient’s living environment, beliefs about the disease, concern about medication side effects, and by the effectiveness of treatment, medication costs, cultural factors, behavior of and information provided by the healthcare providers, and healthcare delivery system. The National Council on Patient Information and Education has found that adherence ranges from just over 30% to under 70% for diseases such as type 1 diabetes and chronic heart failure, and for treatment regimens that include tuberculosis medications, hypertension medications, antipsychotic medications, and penicillin for rheumatic fever. A study of more than 300 patients from private practices of cardiAdherence to Medication Regimens and Recommended Lifestyle Changes in Patients with Cardiovascular Disease