The quality of healthcare outcomes depends on patients' adherence to recommended treatment regimens. Patient non-adherence can pose a pervasive risk to health and wellbeing, as well as entailing a significant economic burden. For some diseases, more than 40% patients face significant risks as a result of not understanding, forgetting or ignoring medical advice. While no single intervention strategy can improve adherence to medical advice for all patients, decades of research agree that successful attempts to improve patient adherence depend on a set of key factors. These include realistic assessment of patients' knowledge and understanding of the treatment regimen, clear and effective communication between healthcare professionals and their patients, and cultivating trust in the therapeutic relationship. Patients need to be able to tell the story of their unique experience of illness. Knowing the patient as a person allows the healthcare professional to understand the elements that are key to patient adherence: beliefs, attitudes, subjective norms, cultural context, social support and emotional health challenges, especially depression. A partnership between doctor and patient is essential when choosing among different treatment options to maximise adherence. Mutual collaboration promotes greater patient satisfaction, reduces the risk of non-adherence and improves patient outcomes.
