Patient Adherence and Medical Treatment Outcomes

Adherence is a factor in the outcome of medical treatment, but the strength and moderators of the adherence-outcome association have not been systematically assessed.

A quantitative review using meta-analysis of three decades of empirical research correlating adherence with objective measures of treatment outcomes. METHOD: Sixty-three studies assessing patient adherence and outcomes of medical treatment were found involving medical regimens recommended by a nonpsychiatrist physician, and measuring patient adherence and health outcomes. Studies were analyzed according to disease (acute/chronic, severity), population (adult/child), type of regimen (preventive/treatment, use of medication), and type and sensitivity of adherence and outcomes measurements.