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Educare

Educare

MAYO 2004 N° 5 Volumen 2

Adherence to treatment. Involved variables

Section: TEACHING TO LEARN

Authors

María del Carmen Ortego Maté

Position

Profesora Titular de Ciencias Psicosociales Aplicadas. Departamento de Enfermería. Universidad de Cantabria.

Contact address

Universidad de Cantabria. Avda. Valdecilla, s/n. 39008 Santander.

Contact email: ortegoc@unican.es

Abstract

The adherence to treatment is a complex, multiple phenomenon that can be defined as the coincidence between a person’s behaviour and the health advice and prescriptions he/she has received.  There have been attempts to determine adherence from personality traits and socio-demographic variables, operative and socio-cognitive models, but all of them have proved insufficient.  The present tendency is to explain adherence through a series of involved variables.  Although many have been identified, these can be classified in seven major groups: the patient’s beliefs, the type of illness, pharmacological treatment, the relationship established between the patient and the healthcare professional, information, social support and organization variables.

Keywords:

adherence to treatment; compliance; adhesionhealth behaviour

Versión en Español

Título:

La adherencia al tratamiento. Variables implicadas