Adherence (medicine)
Adherence (medicine)
Adherence (pronounced: /ədˈhɪərəns/), in the context of medicine, refers to the extent to which a patient's behavior, such as taking medication, following a diet, or executing lifestyle changes, corresponds with agreed recommendations from a healthcare provider.
Etymology
The term "adherence" is derived from the Latin word "adhaerere", meaning "to stick to" or "to cling to". In the medical context, it was first used in the mid-20th century to describe patients' compliance with their prescribed treatment plans.
Related Terms
- Compliance: This term is often used interchangeably with adherence, but it has a slightly different connotation. Compliance implies that the patient is passively following the doctor's orders, while adherence suggests that the patient is actively participating in their own care.
- Persistence: This refers to the duration of time that a patient continues to take a prescribed medication. It is a component of adherence, but it doesn't account for whether the patient is taking the medication correctly.
- Concordance: This is a more recent term that emphasizes the agreement between the patient and the healthcare provider. It suggests a partnership in which both parties agree on the treatment plan.
See Also
References
External links
- Medical encyclopedia article on Adherence (medicine)
- Wikipedia's article - Adherence (medicine)
This WikiMD dictionary article is a stub. You can help make it a full article.
Languages: - East Asian
中文,
日本,
한국어,
South Asian
हिन्दी,
Urdu,
বাংলা,
తెలుగు,
தமிழ்,
ಕನ್ನಡ,
Southeast Asian
Indonesian,
Vietnamese,
Thai,
မြန်မာဘာသာ,
European
español,
Deutsch,
français,
русский,
português do Brasil,
Italian,
polski