Hi, friend! I was told that medication adherence is not only a component of patients’ self-management of their chronic conditions but also an important metric to be assessed in the evaluation of these programs. Could you please kindly elaborate more for me?

True.

Oh. That makes sense.

It is true that medication adherence is an important target for disease management patient education and intervention efforts. For example, The American Association of Diabetes Educators has recommended that disease management programs evaluate changes in medication adherence and lifestyle behaviors (diet, exercise, and smoking status, at a minimum.) Its recent Outcomes Guidelines Report states: disease management programs frequently measure whether patients receive prescriptions for medications identified in evidence-based guidelines for specific conditions (e.g., beta-blockers for patients who have had an acute myocardial infarction), but the prescription will not promote better health outcomes or reduced costs unless the patient takes the medication as prescribed.