---
title: How to Improve Patient Adherence
description: Struggling to get your patients to adhere to your care plans or medication regimens? Here’s why they fail, and how to boost adherence.
image: https://blog.transonic.com/hubfs/GettyImages-1156352527.jpg
---

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# How to Improve Patient Adherence

By [Tim Callahan](https://blog.transonic.com/cardiothoracic-surgery/author/tim-callahan)29 Jun 2020

There are many reasons you may have decided to pursue a career in medicine. But if you’re like most medical professionals, you want to help patients live their healthiest life. You strive to create care plans that help return your patients to their best health or, at least, manage their chronic conditions.![GettyImages-1156352527](https://blog.transonic.com/hs-fs/hubfs/GettyImages-1156352527.jpg?width=300&name=GettyImages-1156352527.jpg)

Because your patients’ well-being is your primary concern, it can be frustrating when they refuse to adhere to your prescribed treatment, especially because, as you know, the results can be devastating.

## The Consequences of Non-Adherence

In the U.S., patients who do not adhere to treatment or take their prescribed medications half-heartedly account for 275,000 deaths annually, according to [data shared by the Pharmacy Times](https://www.pharmacytimes.com/contributor/timothy-aungst-pharmd/2018/06/does-nonadherence-really-cost-the-health-care-system-300-billion-annually).

Patients who fail to follow their care plans also drive up medical costs by as much as half a trillion dollars per year, according to the same article.

For physicians and other healthcare professionals on the front lines of patient care, improving medication adherence is mission-critical. Failure to adhere to a medication regimen, or to follow instructions precisely, leads to treatment failure, adverse reactions, [hospital readmissions](https://blog.transonic.com/hospital-administration/4-common-communication-issues-hospital-readmissions), and even death. 

Finding ways to improve patient adherence can be difficult, but there are a few things you can do to help improve their outcomes. 

## What Keeps Patients from Adhering to Medication Instructions?

There are many different reasons why patients don’t take their medication: 

- They’re forgetful

- They can’t afford the prescription
- They feel uncomfortable due to stigmas associated with certain medication

Unfortunately, it’s challenging to determine the cause as most patients aren’t forthcoming about their reason for their lack of adherence. It’s up to you to uncover those barriers and find a way through.

## How to Increase Patient Adherence to Medication and Treatment Plans

Like you, your patients lead busy lives and self-care — even management of a potentially life-threatening condition — often takes a backseat. 

In this case, [patient communication](https://blog.transonic.com/hemodialysis/easy-ways-to-improve-patient-communication-at-your-dialysis-clinic) is key to dismantling the barriers to adherence.

Here are a few examples of how you can use communication to bolster adherence rates: 

Try Patient Activation Patient activation is a patients willingness and ability to take independent actions to manage their own health and care. There are many studies that show a direct correlation between level of patient activation and outcomes.    

Managing chronic conditions is much easier when everyone is on the same page, and using your [patient communication skills](https://blog.transonic.com/hemodialysis/nephrologists-improve-patient-communication) can help ensure patients know what they need to do. Improving patient adherence takes time, but by building trust and mutual understanding, you can reach your goal of helping your patients live their best lives.

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