Prescribed medication is popular all over the world but a major health concern in the United States is a problem referred to as “non-adherence”. This simply means that people are not taking the medication correctly that has been prescribed to them. When this happens, health issues like diabetes and chronic diseases become more of an issue.
A study that was led by researchers at the University of California, San Francisco, San Francisco General Hospital and Trauma Center and the Kaiser Permanente Division of Research has found a reason as to why medical non-adherence has become such an issue. The cause is ineffective communication.
The study looked at 9,377 patients who were all taking medication to lower their blood pressure, blood sugar or cholesterol. Every patient was asked to answer questionnaires so they could rate how well their doctors communicated with them about their medication. Delays in refilling prescriptions were measured to define patient medication adherence. Patients who did not respond very well to their doctor’s communication with them were less likely to adhere to their medication instructions.
“The study suggest that doctors should communicate better with their patients so that they will better adhere to their medication instructions which will also offer better medical outcomes” says Neda Ratanawongsa, MD, MPH, an assistant professor in the UCSF Department of Medicine and the UCSF Center for Vulnerable Populations at SFGH.
“Communication matters. Thirty percent of people [in the study] were not necessarily taking their medications the way their doctors thought they were. Rates for non-adherence were 4 to 6 percent lower for patients who felt their doctors listened to them, involved them in decisions and gained their trust. By supporting doctors in developing meaningful relationships with their patients, we could help patients take better care of themselves.” Ratanawongsa said.
“What is unique about our study is that we found that medication adherence is better if the physician has established a trusting relationship with the patient and prioritizes the quality of communication, even if that communication is not specifically focused on medication adherence,” added Andrew Karter, PhD, a senior research scientist with the Kaiser Permanente Division of Research and the principal investigator of DISTANCE.
